My Feline Gentleman
by YarningChick
Summary: A Nutcracker take on the movie.  A lonely painter finds solace in a mysterious wooden cat doll, who inspires her beyond her work.
1. Chapter 1

The only thing that belongs to me is the interpretation of the movie, Fredrick von Gikkingen, and Louise's personality. The rest belongs to Studio Ghibli ( I wouldn't complain about owning Baron though…)

Chapter One: A Chance Encounter

"It is important, however, to ensure that the crease is fine, so that the napkin does not stick up funny." The pale man had been droning on for roughly twenty five minutes, and Haru was two seconds away from dumping her herbal tea all over his multiple napkin demonstrations and then the man.

What on earth had possessed Hiromi, to think that she, Haru, could possibly have a chance for a relationship with Napkin Boy? Twirling her long chocolate-colored hair between her fingers, her matching eyes gazed at the sky once more. She suddenly noticed the black clouds now enveloping the sky.

"Uh, Taro, I think we'd best cut the date short. A storm's coming." At last, a polite excuse.

"Huh?" Napkin Boy suddenly looked up, and started shaking at the sight. "I, uh, think you're right, Haru. Feel up to a movie tomorrow night?"

Haru sighed inwardly. "To tell you the truth, Taro, I don't think this is going to work." _Honesty is the best policy_, her mother had drilled into her since she was little. _It will save you and others a great deal of heartbreak._ Taro had seemed confused at her answer.

"But… Hiromi said you were desperate." He was, however, already standing up and had one foot pointed away.

"No, Hiromi's desperate to find a date for her maid of honor." Haru was also standing up and straightening her jacket. The fact that she was five inches taller than her companion, who was an average height, was not lost on either of them. "You're a nice guy, Taro. Just not my guy."

Taro smiled thinly. "I feel the same way about you. Except, you know, for the guy part." Haru smiled a little at that.

"Take care Taro."

"You too Haru."

It wasn't two minutes later that rain started coming down in sheets. Although Haru was grateful that she had picked her longer coat when she had left her apartment that morning, it wasn't quite enough to keep her dry. Spotting a shop that hadn't closed down yet, she ran eagerly toward it. The old man behind the counter looked up from his paper in alarm when the door opened, but he saw it was a young woman.

"Can I help you, Miss?"

"I'll just look around, but thank you." He left for a mop and pail, since the girl was dripping rain water all over the floor.

Haru soaked in the warmth of being inside for a moment, and then started looking at some of the merchandise. It was an old antique shop, she realized. Judging from the plaque hanging behind the counter, it had been around for about eighty-five years. But she couldn't tell the age from looking at the freshly dusted shelves and carefully polished knick-knacks. Spying a small group of porcelain sheep in the middle shelf facing the window, Haru's eyes became as clouded as the sky outside. She happened to be a very successful painter, but no inspiration had hit her since she finished her last piece a few months before.

Receiving nothing from the figurines lining the shelves, she looked away in disgust. Suddenly a flash of green caught her eye. Following the intriguing spark, the brunette walked up to a dusty old table in the corner, with a single object occupying it. The gray fluff was so thick on the thing that she could only guess that it was a doll.

Gently picking it up, the young woman took her handkerchief from her coat pocket and started the long process of wiping away the filth. A few swipes to the head revealed that it was actually an orange cat figurine, and a few more along its body revealed the doll to be wearing a white suit. The outfit was complete with a top hat, a dark red vest, and blue bow tie. He had one arm behind his back and another across the front, holding a cane. The only thing that seemed to speak of how old the doll was, the whiskers. They seemed to be made with real hair, which had become crinkled. Once Haru wiped of the majority of the dust off, the figurine seemed to give off the air of a gentleman. She half-expected him to take off its-_his-_top hat and thank her politely for cleaning him up.

The last part she wiped clean was his eyes, which were a beautiful yellow green. Haru stared into those eyes for a moment, slowly forgetting that the intense color came from paint. They looked _alive_. Those eyes seemed to be staring right back at her, as full of intelligence, or even more so, then most people Haru knew.

"Wow," Haru whispered. She then noticed a small tag hanging from the arm with the cane. Turning the card so she could see how much this strange doll would cost her, she read aloud,

"Baron Humbert von Gikkingen."

"Excuse me miss." Haru wheeled around to face the shopkeeper, who had finished mopping up Haru's entry puddle and had worked his way up to where she was now standing. "Have you found something to your liking?" Haru turned herself to face him, still holding the doll.

"Yes. How much is this?" She held up the cat figurine for his inspection, and he looked at it for a moment with a bit of confusion on his face.

"I don't recall ever seeing this in here before. And as you can see-" he added, sweeping his arm toward the rest of the store, "-we generally keep our merchandise in better care than that." He sniffed, staring pointedly at the still-dusty doll and filthy handkerchief in Haru's hands.

"If you think he looks bad now, you should have seen him before I cleaned him up. And the table-" Haru had stopped in mid-sentence, now noticing that the table that she had found the doll on had vanished. _Strange Place._

"It was right…oh, never mind. How much do you want for him?"

The shopkeeper looked at the doll a bit more. "I'd say a dollar would be fair."

Haru stared at him in shock, which the shopkeeper misinterpreted as delight at a good bargain. But that wasn't it at all. Haru looked at the doll in her hands. Was it her imagination, or was there a glimmer of sadness in those eyes. Could the shopkeeper not tell that if the statue was clean, it would easily be worth hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars, not just one? This was no mass-produced piece of factory garbage; it could have only been the work of a master, who had loved his work. What would _he_ say if he heard that this doll was worth only a dollar?

That thought prompted her to gently place the figurine on a nearby shelf and fish out her wallet. But instead of pulling out a one, she pressed a fifty into the shopkeeper's hands.

"I think that this would be a bit closer to his worth. Have a nice day, sir."

And with that, Haru gently took the doll off the shelf, wrapped him inside her coat, and braved the storm once again. The shopkeeper stared at her slowly disappearing form, the money forgotten in his fist.

It was late afternoon when Haru arrived home with her treasure, and she was really glad to finally see the door to her apartment. She was barely able to unlock the door, due to the fact that she was holding a doll close to her body to keep it dry with one hand, and her other hand was shaking really badly from chills. She barely even noticed her living room was littered with crumpled paper balls from misconceived ideas and paint supplies. Haru only had eyes for the chair in her kitchen, which she gratefully sank into with a slight squelching noise.

She pulled the doll out of her coat, impressed that she had managed to keep _it_ dry. The young woman gently set it on the table and stared at it for a few minutes.

"Why was I so willing to spend that much on you?" She whispered. His eyes, any hint of the previous sadness gone, now seemed gently surprised at her.

"I don't care what that man said, you obviously had been there for years. Possibly decades to collect that much dust." This line of thought reminded Haru of the clinging remains of the shroud that had once covered the doll and the state that she was in. She left the table, and then returned a half hour later, freshly showered and wearing a thick red sweater and flannel pants. Haru was also carrying a small handful of cotton swabs which she quickly but gently used to rid her doll of the last specks of dust that had been clinging to him.

"That looks much better." Haru grinned at him as she carefully slipped off the name tag that was hanging from his arm. She read it again.

"Baron Humbert von Gikkingen." The brunette looked at him. The full name seemed to suit him fine, but it was a bit big for her to call him that. "Mr. Gikkingen is a bit formal, too," she uttered softly. A small smile lit her face.

"I know it's probably just a title, but I think I'll just call you Baron. I don't think I could call you Humbert everyday with a straight face, no offense meant." That jarred something else in her, and she smacked her forehead against her palm.

"Did my manners leave on vacation without telling me again?" She smiled at Baron. "In case you were wondering who I am, I'm Haru Yoshioka." With a half-smile on her face as she studied what she could see of her living room.

"As you might have guessed from the state of my living room, I'm a painter. Fantasy's my specialty. Or at least it was." Haru's head fell a bit as she stood up again to start collecting the papers strewn about the room. "It's been a few months since I finished my last painting, and I haven't had a solid idea for the next one." She gave a quiet sigh as she dumped the papers into her wastebasket in the kitchen. Then she grabbed a can decorated with painted lilies. She started sweeping her various art supplies into the can.

"I always want my work to say something more than 'look at me, I match your drapes.' Like my last piece, _Ashen Sorrow_, depicted Cinderella's misery before the ball. I made sure that there was a glimmer of hope in her eye, like she knew that her luck would soon change if she could just be patient enough for it to happen." The young lady again looked over at Baron and gave a half-smile. "Maybe that's why I brought you home. You didn't look too happy making sure that the table didn't fly out from underneath you or whatever." Haru twitched at that thought, remembering that the table _did _pull a disappearing trick after she removed Baron. It was funny, how easy it was for that name to stick to the cat doll.

"I wouldn't be half as worried about my artist's block if I didn't have another art gala to worry about in two months. I need to have something there, or I may have to find another organization to take me in. Which they probably would, but it's still a pain in the neck to start over again."

Haru had finished cleaning her living room of the last of the art supplies, and was crossing the room to deposit the can in her studio, a spare bedroom, when a red book in a shelf caught her eye. Since that seemed to be a lucky thing today, she quickly turned and removed the book to read the title. _Pride and Prejudice_. She gave a small laugh.

"This is a book I can very easily see you reading, Baron." He seemed like he was the type to enjoy a good classic like this. Haru's mind gave a shudder, and seemed to fly as open as a door. She _could_ see Baron quite clearly in her mind, sitting in one of those high-back velvet chairs next to a fire, a book in one hand and a lowered cup of tea in the other. She gave a small gasp as her eyes shifted slowly to Baron, her vision starting to fade through tears. It could have been her imagination again, but now Baron's eyes were filled with confused concern, like he couldn't figure out her strange mood swings.

"_Baron."_ Haru half-whispered, her eyes now overflowing with tears of happiness. "You just broke my artist's block!" With that, she ran to her studio door, crashing against it while trying to operate the doorknob. Door out of the way, Haru seemed to melt into the darkness, since she was in too much of a hurry to turn on the light. A crash could be plainly heard from the studio, along with a surprised cry.

A few seconds later, Haru emerged panting from her lair, arms wrapped around a large sketching pad and a handful of pencils. Tears were still streaming down her face, though it was hard to tell if they were from happiness or the fall. She took a few seconds to catch her breath and wipe away her tears with her sweater sleeve before addressing Baron again.

"Hey, uh, Baron…I know you probably won't mind, but is it all right if I paint your portrait for my next piece? I promise that you'll be the first to see it."

It was after one when Haru had finally called it quits for the day, with only enough energy to grab an apple on the way to her bedroom. She had left Baron on the couch she had propped him up in, with _Pride and Prejudice _resting to his right. As the clock on the wall slowly clicked its way to two o'clock, Baron slowly blinked, and flexed his knuckles. He tried to sit up, but could manage no more than a slight bow. After so long of standing in that one position, his body did not wish to fully cooperate with him as he wished it to.

His eyes flashed with irritation, but the look softened as his gaze fell upon the door the brown-eyed girl had departed through.

_Just who is that girl, _he wondered. _How did she see me when I've been invisible for so long?_ His eyes lowered to the state of his clothes, which were now sparkling clean, thanks to Miss Haru's efforts. He used the last of his energy to shift back into his former position and make a weak smile. _Ashen Sorrow_ indeed. His luck did appear to be changing, and he had been waiting more than long enough. At least Miss Haru was more interesting than the _last _female he had known, and his mind darkened again at the memories. _She_ would never have used a long handled paintbrush to pin her hair from her face the way his new owner did. Nothing less than real hairpins, preferably pretty ones, would have done for _her._

_Whoever Miss Haru is, I'm grateful to have met her. She has what I need._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: A Friend's Disbelief

Haru had managed to crawl out of her bed somewhere around ten and had immediately launched another assault on Baron's portrait. She was just putting the finishing touches on the sketch that she would use as a blue-print when her doorbell rang.

"Just a sec," She called out, gently laying the sketchpad to one side. "It's probably Hiromi," she whispered to Baron as she unlocked the door and peeked through.

"How'd it go?" A cheeky girl with sandy blonde hair was grinning at the brunette, who quickly opened the door wider to allow entry as her eye slightly glazed over.

"How'd what go?" She asked, genuinely confused. Hiromi couldn't resist the urge to roll her eyes.

"The_ date_, Haru. With Taro." The painter closed the door, her eyes now longer glazed.

"He's not going to make the cut." Hiromi's shoulders slumped.

"Ah, come on, Haru. Couldn't you at least of given the guy a chance?"

"Maybe I could have, if he didn't demonstrate his ability to talk about _napkin folding_ for almost half an hour!"

Hiromi's eyes widened in shock. "You're kidding." Her voice went low in disbelief.

"Nope. Good news is that the storm came up before the half hour could turn into a full one. At least I met the key to cracking my artist's block!"

"That's great Haru, but-"

"Do you want to see him?"

Hiromi's face brightened. "**Him**? Absolutely!"

Haru walked over to the couch that she had placed Baron, and presented him with a flourish.

"Isn't he cool?"

Hiromi could only stare at the figurine. "Uh, Haru, I thought you were talking about a real guy, not a doll. Aren't you a bit old for them anyway?"

Haru's bright face faded a bit. "Didn't you notice his eyes?" She turned him so that Hiromi could look the doll straight in the face. "Don't you see anything strange about them?"

Hiromi was still for a moment, and then tilted a bit so that she could face Haru, an uncertain smile creeping across her face.

"Green eyes aren't that unusual, Haru. Have you been getting high off of the paint fumes again?"

"I have told you a thousand times Hiromi; I do NOT get high off of paint fumes. I haven't even touched my paints in almost four months." Haru turned Baron to face her again. "Are you certain you didn't see anything special?"

"Of course I'm certain. Haru, I will object if you bring that doll as your date." Hiromi giggled a bit at the thought. "Even if he won't ever step on your feet."

"That was _not_ where I was going with this, Hiromi." She gently placed Baron on the table and turned to her best friend. "Although now that you mention it, I do seem to get along with him better than most guys I know."

"But what about my wedding? I refuse to have my maid of honor be there without a _real _man at her side." Haru had gained more skill than Hiromi at resisting eye-rolling impulses.

"Enough so that you start telling guys that I'm desperate when I'm not? Hiromi, people are going to _your_ wedding to look at _you and Tsuge._ No one pays attention to any of the maids, except at the actual ceremony when you can't tell who has a date or not."

"But what about the reception? It is a tradition in my family to have one dance for the bride and groom, and then one for the maids and their dates. And people _will_ notice if my maid of honor has an invisible partner."

"Hiromi, do you even remember what happened the _last_ time I set foot on a dance floor? The guy ended up in the emergency room! And the only reason the couple next to us didn't press charges was because I was so quick getting them ice packs."

Hiromi giggled at the memory, and then brightened. "Hey, I bet that if I could get a signed contract from you to stay at least five feet from the dance floor at all times-"

"It would defeat your purpose of getting me a date to dance with anyway. Just let it go, Hiromi. I'll even change clothes at the reception so that no one will notice that I'm missing from the dancing."

"Except for the people that _know_ you're my maid of honor."

"If having a maid of honor with a date means this much to you, I don't mind you giving the honor to someone else-"

"No way on earth, Haru. Don't even go there. We've been best friends our whole lives! There is no one, and I mean _no one_ that I would rather have as my maid of honor than you, date or no date." Hiromi looked pretty angry over what her friend had suggested.

"Then you'll stop trying to hook me up with guys?"

"No, I'll just have to look harder for a guy you'd actually look twice at." A beeping noise came from Hiromi's pocket. She extracted her cell phone and checked the caller ID.

"Oh, good. Looks like Tsuge managed to beat some sense into the caterers. Got to run!" Hiromi rushed out the door as she gave a cheeky wave goodbye.

"Don't worry, Haru! I'll find you a date no matter what!"

"Great." Her tone lacked enthusiasm, as did her face. She closed the swinging door and turned to Baron.

"If I didn't know for a fact that she's doing this for the wedding and my own good, I would have put my foot down long ago." She made herself a light salad for lunch, and ate while studying Baron some more.

"At least I know it wasn't just the shopkeeper now. Hiromi didn't notice you as special either, and she's usually good with that kind of thing. Except why me? Why am I the only one that thinks you're worth more than a measly dollar?" Salad half-eaten, Haru put her fork down and gazed into Baron's eyes again, a habit that had become second-nature to her.

"For that matter, why do I talk to you like this? Like you can understand a word I'm saying, even though you're a doll. A wooden one, if I'm not mistaken." She thought about how she had found him, lost under a thick shroud of dust, forgotten and alone. After a moment, Haru smiled again at him.

"It must be because you looked as lonely as I feel. Even if you are a doll, I feel like you _do_ hear and understand what I'm trying to say. That's more than Hiromi and my mother are willing to do anymore. All they want to hear from me is that I met an amazing guy, and every time I try to talk to one of them…well, I think you can connect the dots."

Feeling full, Haru covered her salad and placed it back in her fridge. "I think that's enough of a break, Baron. I have a decent blue-print now, so we can move our operations to the studio. Beware," she added, a wicked smile crossing her face as she gathered Baron and her sketch pad before heading toward the door.

"Last time a soul besides mine tried to enter it, they left with a broken arm."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Musings of a Cat

It had been three weeks since Haru had brought Baron home, and the time was showing. Baron had progressed from barely able to move to running laps around Haru's studio and living room, after she went to bed of course. He also devoured the contents of all the books Haru had, including the manual for her laptop, which he now frequently used to look up information on the world for the past sixty years.

He very quickly became acquainted with WW2, the Vietnam War, modern politics that he knew weren't all that modern, and much more. By looking at a British aristocracy listing, he found an old English family with a German surname. He had been surprised to find that no new generations had been introduced to this particular family since the disappearance of the eldest son and heir sixty years before, along with news clippings, begging for information leading to the heir's whereabouts. And, of course, Baron looked up his new owner.

_This isn't as hard as it looks._ 25, 000 hits on Haru Yoshioka. He learned that she had actually graduated high school two years early, and had completed her masters in art the summer before at age twenty. She had also understated herself as a painter. Her works were immensely popular, and each one had sold for enough to keep a small family fed and sheltered for over a year. Even after her organization takes their share, she had to have enough by now to retire permanently if she wished.

_She has more class than I thought, which is indeed saying something._ Baron scanned the modest living room. _With her artwork selling like this, she could easily afford a more luxurious place. But she prefers to live modestly._ He again opened his mouth in an attempt to speak, but nothing issued from his throat. He was still, as Haru had put it, a wooden doll, which doesn't usually come equipped with vocal chords. His eyes narrowed in anger again, but he kept up his search.

Turns out success ran deeply in her family. Her father had been a famous violinist before a fatal heart attack at a country club several years before. This would explain the worn violin case that Haru kept on a high shelf in her studio, only occasionally taking it down to do minor maintenance and polishing on the antique violin inside. He had to say, she did know proper violin care for someone that wasn't able to play. Her mother was a well—respected quilter who often had to travel for her popular lectures and demonstrations. As far as he could tell, she rarely called or visited.

_This would explain why she would feel lonely. Is that what makes her strong?_ No, that could just be a piece of the puzzle, but there had to be more to it. There were plenty of lonely people in the world, but something told Baron that was not the only reason why this girl was so special.

_Haru…_ she had given him so much already. First rescuing him from that boring shop, then taking him to a warm home and speaking to him. Speaking…to him. He'd spent so long in that shop, with no one acknowledging his existence, until he himself started to forget he was there.

Then she came, dripping wet from a storm and looked him straight in the eye. He didn't see how much more she had given the shopkeeper for him than what he had asked, but the look on the old man's face had lifted Baron's already high opinion of the girl who had seen him. More than seen him. Haru had instinctively known he wasn't a regular figurine, although she could not explain why.

Haru had told him anything and everything she could think of to tell him, and Baron had soaked it all up, relishing every word she tossed at him like the tea he used to make. She was even a lover of fine music, and played classics he had known forever, as well as newer things, luckily none of them contained the screaming and whining that the shopkeeper's grandson would sometimes play at the shop.

Sometimes, if she was in a really good mood or just felt like it, Haru would even sing along with the music. Although her voice was, by no stretch of the imagination, in danger of being targeted by record companies, it was a pleasant voice that Baron preferred to whoever was originally singing, just for the tone of sincerity that seemed to encompass her.

Thanks to her, Baron felt brand-new, but he was at a bit of a loss as to how he could express his gratitude. He had practically been given a new chance at life because of her, and all she was going to have to show for it was a portrait that she was going to sell off anyway. He couldn't even talk back to her when he thought of a funny comment that would have left Haru gasping for breath.

The hardest part would be when the phone would ring, her face loose its radiance, and she would disappear for a few hours. Then she was always in a sad mood when she returned, and Haru would tell him about the latest guy that Hiromi had thrust at her.

Needless to say, Baron didn't have very warm feelings for his owner's pushy friend.

It had been very hard on him, not to sneak a peek at his portrait after Haru was asleep each night. Only the thought that she promised that Baron would be the first to see it would make him firmly turn his back on the canvas Haru would cover with a sheet each night. When Haru had first brought him into her studio, he could immediately see why an unsuspecting innocent might break his arm intruding, and why she had cried out when she entered without the lights.

Haru had called the studio a perfect example of 'organized chaos'. Although she usually kept the rest of her apartment as neat as a pin, her studio resembled the aftermath of a tornado. She had propped a folding table on top of another table, insisting that it was more stable than an easel, and had various stretched canvases, paintbrushes, collapsible furniture, and several tubes of paint in the appropriate shades scattered all over the spare bed, floor, and dresser.

"I have to clean it all up when my mother comes to visit." Haru had said with an apologetic grin as she hunted for the correct colors.

"The only reason she doesn't get on my case about it is that she does the same thing with her fabric stash, except all over the house. When she still lived in one before I moved out, anyway."

Since the two weeks that have passed, Haru had declared that she was making so much progress that if she pushed herself, Baron's portrait might actually be ready in time for the art gala and auction. And at the rate that Baron himself was going, he may be able to leave her by then, a thought that tore him up.

_It's hard not to become fond of a girl that you see constantly for weeks, and is completely open to you. Heaven knows that would have been useful in my last relationship. _Baron twitched violently as he shut down her computer for the night, a twinge of red and orange seeable from the side window. _Last relationship?_ He didn't really have a current relationship with Haru. She was ignorant, to an extent, that he was even alive. There was also the fact that he was much older than he looked.

But somehow, as his eyes would stray to the room Haru slept in, that fact seemed to matter very little.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Looking Into Your Eyes

"No, not now!" Haru cried out in despair. Another few weeks had passed, and Baron's portrait was completed except for the eyes, which were now the cause of Haru's despair. She had switched to a different surface to perfect his eyes so that she wouldn't compromise the original painting. Her canvas was dotted by several yellow green eyes, but none of which seemed to capture Baron's spirit the way Haru wished they would. And she had already been working for two days straight on them alone.

"What's the point of letting people see through your eyes if you can't even get it right on the canvas?" Haru slammed her brush down in frustration. "I'm willing to accept that I'm the only one that thinks you're cool, Baron; I just want to show the rest of the world what I see when I look at you. I already know what they see, but erg!" Haru collapsed on the edge of the spare bed and sighed in frustration again.

"I honestly didn't think your eyes would give me this much trouble." She sat on the bed for a moment, her hands covering her face as she struggled to hold back tears of frustration.

_Haru…_ She looked up, but no one had spoken. She was still alone in the apartment.

"What?"

_Don't give up. You need to believe in yourself and your abilities._ The voice had an aristocratic British accent that she had never heard before, at least in person. Her eyes slowly slid over to Baron, who was still under the bright lamp to give her the best view of his eyes. They were now giving off a sense of comfort which warmed her soul.

_Then you will have nothing to fear. _Haru stared at the doll, trying to figure out if she was going mad. Her telephone rang, breaking the spell. Haru ran to answer it.

"Hello? Oh, Mr. Amasawa, it's good to…yes, actually." She stole another glance at Baron for a few seconds before continuing. "Yes, it will be ready for the gala in two days." Her whole body froze up at the next question. She again faced Baron, and warmth spread throughout her body.

"_My Feline Gentleman._" Haru's voice had a note of finality to it. A few seconds passed, she said goodbye and hung up the phone. She finally smiled and walked over to Baron. Picking him up, she rubbed him gently against her cheek as a compromised hug.

"I don't know if that was my imagination or not, but that was exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you Baron." Giving him another bright smile, she placed him back under the lamp and replaced the practice sheet with the original painting. Remixing her paints, she carefully renewed her assault on the blank spaces that would be Baron's eyes. After a few minutes, she forgot about the deadline and everything else that existed beyond the walls of her studio.

Several hours later, the shout of victory was given.

Baron could still see the glowing smile on Haru's face hours after she finally emerged from behind her makeshift easel. After washing and drying her hands thoroughly so she wouldn't get paint on him, she had picked Baron up and brought him around to see her masterpiece.

He had been shocked. The scene was so familiar to him. In a large red velvet chair, Baron was sitting, holding a book slightly to the left of him, his eyes glowing as he seemingly read the passages, a cooling cup of tea on the table next to him as he became lost in the book. In the background, a standing coat rack could be seen, with his jacket, hat, and cane hanging from it. If it weren't for the obvious fact that he was a cat, this could have been easily believed to have been a real scene.

"So, what do you think, Baron? Think they'll like it?"

_Even if they don't, I do._ He had been thrilled that she had heard his thoughts, even if she thought his voice was a figment of her imagination. Haru's smile brightened further, and she again rubbed him against her cheek.

"As long as you like it, I think I can handle whatever the public says about your portrait."

Oh, what he would have given to actually feel her touch. Being made of wood, he couldn't feel or smell or taste. He could only see and listen. But now he could also speak, even if it was only through the mind. He had to restrain himself from telling her everything. He knew that she wouldn't quite believe it, and if she did, she may withdraw her nourishing spirit from him, and he'd be stuck this way forever.

Not about to risk that, Baron watched her start to clean up the worst of the mess in the room. Haru had told him a few days earlier that her mother was coming for Hiromi's wedding, and so would be staying with them for a few days. Baron thought it was endearing of Haru to say 'with them,' like they were living together. Well, they technically were, but not like that! And what would her mother think of Haru's habit of talking to him instead of out finding a date? Baron's mood darkened at the thought. Why should he care if the girl found a man? It's not like he had any claim to her.

But he did. Just the fact that she had preferred hours of looking at him for the portrait instead of sifting through Tokyo's single ads had to count for something. She even admitted that she got along better with him than any other man. But what would happen to him, now that Haru had finished? Surely she would want to start on something new, although he knew that she could probably live comfortably for years without lifting a paintbrush. Would she still talk to him, or was that something she did for each focus of a masterpiece? He could tell Haru was thinking about some of the same things.

"Mom's not going to be thrilled that I've been painting instead of looking up available escorts to Hiromi's wedding this Sunday. At least she hasn't had the time to look up strange men lately, since she's been so busy with organizing everything." By this time, Haru had managed to sweep all of her art supplies into large boxes that she had lined one wall with. Then she started to set all the furniture in a non-lethal position and replace the sheets on the bed.

"For some reason, Hiromi and Mom have the assumption that because I'm an eccentric artist, I want someone else that is eccentric. I don't know why they're always surprised that blind dates they arrange for me never work out. When we were younger, Hiromi and I even made a deal; my mom would substitute for her mom at her wedding, since her real one doesn't deserve the honor, and her father would give me away at mine. If such a thing ever happened, that is." Haru gave a sigh as she lined up her sketching pads on the shelf.

"Mom's probably going to be less thrilled about how I talk with you. Just in case she gets a crazy idea like throwing you away while I'm out or something, I better start keeping you in a safe place. Not my room though," Haru added with a laugh. "You're way too lifelike for me to keep you in there with a clean conscience. I don't think I could bear to put you in a box and tuck you away for a few days either. Your presence is a bit on the addictive side." Haru had finished straightening the room to accommodate her mother's arrival, and rubbed one of her doll's ears as she walked out.

"Don't worry, I'll think of something. Good night Baron." Mere moments after her departure, Baron was already stretching his limbs for the nightly exercise, and he was unable to keep a smile from his face. She said he was _addictive._ That probably meant that she intended to keep him around for a while, despite what her mother may say about the strange relationship with him.

_With the portrait out of the way, she'll have no excuse to not finding an escort to Hiromi's wedding._ Baron started running his nightly laps around the studio, which had become greatly simplified, since Haru had put away everything that had made the route an obstacle course. His pace slowed as his thoughts grew more serious.

_Come to think of it, why is this young lady still single? She has brains, beauty, a wonderful sense of humor, a sparkling personality, a creative mind, beauty…wait, did I already think that?_ Shaking his head slightly, Baron increased the pace. _With the rate I have been improving at, I should be able to ask her that myself soon enough._ He had found the file on her laptop that was kept for her works, each masterpiece included a photo of the finished piece, the story behind it, how much it sold for to whom and when, and little details like that.

By far, his favorite was one of her earlier pieces called '_You Don't See Me'_. It had shown a scene from the Frog Prince, from before the princess had dropped her golden ball into the water, and the frog looking at her with mournful eyes from within the pond next to her. Haru had written in her summary that she had liked a boy named Machida in high school that pretty much ignored her unless she was late for class, when he would laugh at her along with the rest of the class. She had tried to paint the loneliness she had felt into the frog's eyes, and Baron thought she had done that job a little too well.

She had also described herself to be a lot like the frog, since guys wouldn't take notice of her except to mock when she did something wrong. Baron's heart trembled in empathy. He wanted to tell her that he felt like _he_ was the frog, and she the princess, except that Haru was a lot nicer than the one in the story. She hadn't lost anything that he could return, and had taken him in without thinking much about it. And even if she could hear his voice now, she didn't really know who he was.

These thoughts didn't stop Baron from wanting to challenge this Machida to a duel for making his Haru feel unwanted. Oh, the things he could have done to that rogue…


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: The Unusual Customer

Haru had brought Baron back into the living room on the day of the auction so that he could have a change of scenery while she was at the gala. She had dressed up for the occasion with a dark denim skirt that reached her ankles and a white blouse topped by a denim jacket that matched her skirt. She also took the time to braid her long hair into a single rope and twirled it around her head for a fancy bun. Her footwear was a comfortable pair of beige sandals with straps.

_You look fetching._ Haru blushed and thanked Baron. She had carefully covered his portrait with a white sheet after taking a snapshot of it for her digital scrapbook.

"Wish me luck, Baron! I'll probably see you sometime around noon. Bye." Then Haru was out the door to the waiting car that her manager had sent, to ensure that the painting would be completely safe. Mr. Amasawa was waiting outside the door for Haru and the driver.

"It's about time you got here, Miss Yoshioka. Well, let's hurry; there are many wealthy people dying to see your latest piece."

"Thank you, Mr. Amasawa." The gala manager had always struck Haru as slightly on the chilly formal side, but she could not deny his skill at organizing galas like this, and he did owe a significant amount the popularity of his galas to her. Mr. Amasawa led her to a room that was reasonably full of people wearing business suits, all of whom turned to look at her expectantly. She could even spot a reporter here and there, with cameras aimed at her and clicking away like madmen.

Haru had always followed the practice of pretending that they don't exist when she's presenting a piece. She also had learned from experience that she was allowed to dress more casually than a suit for her reputation as an artist, for which she was profoundly grateful.

Mr. Amasawa approached the microphone. "Good ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to announce the arrival of Miss Haru Yoshioka and her latest piece, _My Feline Gentlemen._" A thunderous amount of applause was given, but the artist was warmed more by the eagerness in their eyes. Mr. Amasawa motioned for her to come forward.

Ignoring the seed of nervousness that always accompanied her during galas; she painted on a polite smile and approached the podium, the covered canvas still in her arms. She placed the linen-covered treasure of the stand next to the podium before addressing the audience.

"I'll try to keep this short, since most of you didn't come hear to hear me talk." A few light-hearted chuckles were scattered around the room. "As most of you are well-aware, I try to make my work say more than 'I exist to cover that bare space in the living room.' It was hard, to find one single idea that would make this painting stand out, since it is based off of a real thing instead of just my imagination. As far as I'm aware, this one isn't even based off of a fairy tale, but it still has become one of my very favorites, and I hope it will be one of yours as well.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Haru's voice had taken an air of command, and her hand firmly gripped one corner of the linen shroud. A few of the crowd dared to lean in closer, their eyes gleaming. "I give you…_My Feline Gentleman._" She tugged hard on the linen, dramatically revealing the labor that had consumed her for the past weeks. Haru had closed her eyes as she did this, then cracked one eye open to see how they reacted.

This was barely at all. A few of the stiff-collared men seemed surprised, despite her warning that this one wasn't based off of a fairy tale. Others appeared to appreciate her work, and Haru was able to glean some of their words as the room exploded into a thousand conversations at once.

"How strange..."

"…love the eyes…"

"Wonder who _that_ was based off of."

"Guess she's not a man-hater after all."

"Must be based off of a boy-friend or something."

Haru had reddened at the last comment, but Mr. Amasawa had luckily come up behind her then and motioned that she could sit, which she did gladly. After a few moments of letting the reporters take pictures and letting the conversations go, Mr. Amasawa cleared his throat authoritatively, commanding the silence that soon followed.

"At your pleasure, we will begin the bidding at one million." Haru groaned. She always hated the starting price that Mr. Amasawa picked, but didn't object.

"Ah, yes, we have one million from the gentleman in the blue tie, can I get two million?" A middle aged woman in a blood-red suit nodded her head.

"Two million, do I hear three?" Mr. Amasawa was getting warmed up when a clipped voice in the back interrupted.

"You hear fourteen million." Haru stood up fast in astonishment as a collective gasp was heard from around the room. The crowd parted to reveal an older man. His hair had gone completely white, but he still had a full head of it, and the sharpness in his gaze would cut off any accusation of senility. His eyes had not strayed from the portrait as he unconsciously rubbed the cane at his side.

After a moment, Mr. Amasawa found his voice again. "Do I hear fifteen million?" His voice sounded much weaker than before, and no one answered him.

"Going once…twice…and sold! To the gentleman in the back."

Haru could not take her eyes off of the old man. As he was walked forward to claim his prize, she noticed that there was something familiar about this old man, though she was sure that she had not seen him at any of her other unveilings. She gave him a warm smile, knowing that someone besides herself had loved her portraying of Baron. She walked off the platform and circled around to shake the gentleman's hand.

"I'm glad that you like this one. I was a bit worried that no one would."

"You shouldn't have been." The man smiled warmly at her. "It is a fine piece of artwork, and shall definitely be treasured." Haru returned his smile. She couldn't help but notice his British accent, which closely resembled the one that she had been hearing for the past few days.

"However," he added, after a brief pause, "I must ask, Miss Yoshioka; what was the inspiration for the feline gentleman?" She was a bit taken aback that someone actually cared.

"It was a cat figurine I found in an antique shop a few weeks ago. I've become quite attached to him, and it felt right to paint him in a scene like that." The old man laughed.

"Yes, I can definitely see why that felt right." Haru had taken an interest in the shape of the man's eyes underneath the wrinkles, which felt strangely familiar.

"I'm sorry sir; I didn't catch your name?" This caused the man to chuckle again.

"Please pardon my manners; I am the Baron Fredrick von Gikkingen."

Haru's eyes widened, now recognizing the familiarity in the eyes and posture, and a slow gasp escaping from her throat. The elderly man noted her reaction with undisguised interest.

"Perhaps that name has significance to you?"

Baron couldn't quite read the look on Haru's face when she reentered the apartment a scant few hours later. By now, he was used to her staring at him, but this felt different somehow. Haru didn't bother to fix herself a salad for lunch the way she normally did, but had instead slipped him into a medium-sized handbag along with a few necessities.

"I have a new friend that's very anxious to meet you, Baron."

A new friend? Did that mean she found a man, and was going to introduce him? Baron's mind began to boil. He would have become more worried about the possibility of sharing his Haru if she had been her usual talkative self, but she had barely spoken a word beyond the one sentence. And he knew Haru didn't usually carry around a handbag in public. He was trying to figure out if he should say something to her when a familiar voice caught his ear.

"Haru!" She turned, now in the middle of a sidewalk a few blocks away from her house, and Baron could see from the purse opening that the voice belonged to Hiromi, who had been jogging up to them waving a lacrosse stick to grab Haru's attention.

"Hey Hiromi, is something up?"

"No, just off a refreshing game before another gown fitting today. Remember, you do need to be there today, or your dress won't fit right." Hiromi had started waving the lacrosse stick in front of Haru's face to accentuate her point. Haru snatched the stick away.

"If you want me to be there, then I need to get going; I have someone waiting for me."

Hiromi beamed. "Congratulations, Haru! I'd have found one for you, but-"

"No, no, not like that! He's a bit old for me anyway." Haru's face had reddened to a lovely crimson. "The man that bought my latest piece wanted to see the original doll, so I told him I'd meet him at the Moon Cafe in about five minutes, so-"

"That doll, again? Maybe you should start a collection while you're at it."

"No way, this doll's one of a kind."

"You're still not taking him to my wedding."

"Who said I was going to?" The two friends had started to circle each other playfully when a cat marched between them in a manner that caused both girls to stop and look. It wouldn't have been so unusual if the cat hadn't been carrying a small package in its mouth, or for the gold collar without a license. The two women watched as he carefully looked both ways as he prepared to cross the street.

"Isn't that a bit dangerous?" Hiromi asked softly. "Hey cat; I wouldn't do that if I were-"

The cat, having seen the way was safe, began to cross.

"Ah well, it's just a cat." Hiromi started to walk away, but Haru remained in place.

"This doesn't look so good."

"Eh?" Hiromi turned to find that the light had changed, and the cat had lost its hold on the package. This wouldn't have been a problem if a truck wasn't headed straight for the cat.

Without a word, Haru thrust her bag into Hiromi's hands and, with the lacrosse stick held high, she ran straight for the cat. Baron watched the scene with dawning horror.

"HARU, ARE YOU INSANE? STOP!"

_I'm with Hiromi on this one, Haru! It's not worth it! Don't..._


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: A Past Unknown

"What took you?" Fredrick pointedly asked as a slightly shell-shocked Haru collapsed in the chair across from him, her hair now left in a long braid.

"Best friend, and then a cat that almost became road kill, nothing much." The young woman shook the impossibility of what had just happened out of her mind, and then carefully extracted Baron from her purse. Setting him gently on the table facing Fredrick, he leaned in closer for a better inspection, his excitement growing.

"And you say that you found him inside an antique shop with a tag reading Humbert von Gikkingen?"

"_Baron_ Humbert von Gikkingen. I usually call him Baron though." Fredrick looked up from his inspection, his eyebrows raised.

"How did you know about his nickname?" Haru was puzzled by this question.

"I started calling him that because it suited him better than 'Humbert'. What do you mean, 'how do I know?'" The man gave a heavy sigh, sipped his tea, and gazed into the sky.

"I mean, Miss Yoshioka-"

"Haru."

"-Haru, that Baron Humbert von Gikkingen was-is-my older brother." Her jaw dropped.

"And you are correct. 'Baron' definitely suits him better."

"So, what was this doing in that shop?"

"Not quite sure. It could have been the basis for a joke that Muta and Toto cooked up to get underneath Baron's skin before..." the man voice had trailed off, lost in memories. Haru leaned across the table.

"Before..." she prompted. Fredrick's gaze shifted back to her, a slight smile on his face.

"I suppose you would like to hear the story?"

"Very much, actually."

"All right." Fredrick folded his arms across his chest and took a deep breath. "To start out with, Baron had never been fond of his given name, and no one else was either. If he had been a little less sure of himself, I'm sure that he would have gotten into plenty more fights over his given name, which was our grandfather's. Our father was a German nobleman that that met and fell in love with the daughter of a Baroness. He later married her and became the Baron of a small but profitable piece of land. Unlike so many others, our father concentrated on helping others, and often went out of his way to help others, a trait that was passed down to my brother a bit stronger than myself." He took another sip of tea and looked Haru straight in the eye.

"There wouldn't be any point to hiding this, so I'll make it plain; when we were children, I idolized my brother, who had become the baron after our father died in a horse accident. Humbert was only thirteen at the time, but he took his duties very seriously. Our mother had been a firm believer of the importance of a well-rounded education. I didn't appreciate this much, but Baron thrived on learning. He had a passing familiarity with most subjects, had studied several styles of swordplay, an accomplished dancer and violinist, plus a perfect gentleman. Of course, he took on the name of Baron as soon as he could get the name to stick, which really did suit him better than 'Humbert' ever did." Fredrick put down his teacup and sighed. Haru gave a small grin.

"He sounds like a great guy." Fredrick eyed her.

"He often had to fend off accusations of perfection, and if it weren't for the fact that he was engaged, women wouldn't have been able to stay away from him, and they had difficulty with doing that anyway." She raised an eyebrow.

"Who was the lucky girl?"

"Louise Wellington. She was a daughter of a minor noble who had run low on money, so her parents and mine had arranged a marriage between Baron and Louise when they were young so that her parents could keep their high standard of living. I never really knew her; she wasn't one to, what's the modern term? Hang out with her boyfriend's kid brother?"

"Close enough." Haru motioned for him to continue.

"Anyway, Baron had two best friends growing up; one was our cousin, Renaldo Moon, who later took a liking to being called Muta since he was obsessed with Japanese culture, and Toto Banks, who was the son of our father's main advisor. Toto had been obsessed with airplanes and had dreams of flying one someday." Fredrick gave a warmer laugh. "You could hear those two fighting all over England, flinging insults at each other and getting into minor fights. It's amazing that Baron didn't go insane from listening to those two bicker or try to gag both of them even once. I had always admired his patience with those two." Fredrick's grin faded.

"To get on with the story, Muta managed to convince Baron into a trip to visit a pen pal in Tokyo, and took Louise and Toto along for the ride. They managed to send one garbled message about some trouble with cats after they arrived, but then they vanished." Haru sat up in confusion.

"Vanished?"

"That's the only word for it. All I have been able to glean was that one maid had seen them enter their respective suites in the hotel they had been staying in, saw the men quickly rush over to Louise's room, and then nothing. None of them came out, and when the maid came to clean the rooms the next day, all of their luggage was still where they had left them, but no sign of where they were. The only thing wrong with the rooms was that the one Louise was staying in had flower baskets and petals all over her carpet, but the bouquet on the table had been untouched."

"I assume from your investigations that you've heard our myths about the midnight flower sprites?" Humbert nodded.

"Though why they would want Louise to join their number is beyond me. Anyway, the police searched for weeks, declared them dead, and I inherited the title of Baron." His tea was cold by then, but Fredrick didn't notice. "Everyone kept telling me that I should move on, but I've never been able to shake the feeling that Baron's still alive somewhere. When I saw your painting, I tasted hope again. You had captured Baron's eyes so perfectly that I was certain that you knew something that might lead me to my brother. He even used to wear the same outfit that this doll is wearing. If my brother had been part cat, this is exactly what he would have looked like." Haru was stunned. She certainly wasn't expecting anything like what Fredrick had just told her. Looking at the Baron on the table, she asked the other,

"Do you think that this doll might have something to do with your brother's disappearance?"

"It's the best lead I've received in the sixty years I've been looking for him." Haru scrambled to her feet with slightly wild eyes.

"_Sixty years?_" Fredrick nodded sadly.

"I would have given up by now, but the feeling would increase whenever I thought about it. I could sometimes almost hear Baron's encouragement not to give up."

"Believe in yourself and your abilities," Haru whispered. He looked sharply at her, recognizing the all-too familiar words, than reached across the table for her hand.

"Miss Haru, is there something else that you know that might help me? Even the slightest detail could be useful."

Haru had glanced up when his hand touched hers, and she was truly touched by what she saw in Fredrick's eyes. A vast amount of pain and loneliness seemed to echo through dark caverns inside those blue eyes. Taking a deep breath, Haru told him about how she had found Baron, and he winced when she mentioned how much dust was covering the precious doll.

"He priced a cat replica of my brother at a _dollar_?" This had earned him several confused glances, some even rude, from the people at the other tables.

"I know it isn't much, but I gave him a fifty instead." The look of outrage passed from Fredrick's face, only to be replaced by wonder, and a trace of confusion.

"Why..." was all he could manage to say. Haru again looked at her Baron, a warm smile enveloping her face.

"When I first brushed off the dust and got a good look at him, I couldn't help but notice the fine detail that had been put into him. Whoever had made that doll had put a lot of effort into it, and I couldn't help but think that if that artisan had heard what his work was worth to that shopkeeper, his heart would have surely been broken." Haru lovingly ran her finger along one of Baron's ears. "That's how I would feel, if I caught someone trying to resell something I had put my heart and soul into for so little." Fredrick looked at her for a moment, his mind slowly comprehending what she was trying to say. She loved that doll for what he represented, which could have been just fine artwork, but he felt that it was something more.

"Miss Haru, I was originally planning to buy this baron from you as well." She looked up in alarm, and for a second, Fredrick could have sworn that he saw a spark of panic in the doll's eyes too.

"But I can see now that even I can't afford the price that would make you agree to sell him. I'll have to settle for investigating the antique shop." Haru heaved a sigh of relief, barely noticing that she had grabbed the doll and had held it close in that moment of panic. Just then, her cell phone started playing a beeping version of Tchaikovsky. Haru, groaned, knowing that she was about to get yelled at for being late again.

"Haru, where are you?!" The sound of Hiromi's voice could be clearly heard by Fredrick and a few people at a nearby table, who all turned their heads to see what the noise was about. Haru's face turned beet red.

"I managed to convince the people renting the dresses to do everyone else first, but you need to get here ASAP!"

"Sorry, Hiromi, I'll be there as soon as I can. Bye." Haru slapped her cell phone and swiftly placed Baron back in her bag. "Sorry I have to run out like this."

"That's all right." He handed her a small card as she fled the table. "Call this number if you need or want to talk to me again." Haru slipped the card inside her purse.

"Thanks, I will."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: The Cat King

Just like the first night Baron had spent in Haru's apartment, it was long after midnight when Haru finally drifted off to sleep, except that this time, she didn't even have the energy to walk to her bedroom. She just crashed on her couch, with her laptop still on her lap. She was also still wearing the denim outfit.

As Baron had suspected, Hiromi gave her a hard time when she finally arrived at the scheduled fitting. To her defense, Hiromi looked as frazzled as Haru, so much that she barely made a peep about a date. By the time Hiromi let her maid of honor stumble home, the sun had begun to set. He'd have thought that Haru would want to rest a bit after everything that had happened that day, but she immediately started on the summary for Baron's portrait for her works file. She even took a picture of him to put next to the portrait on the page.

There was only one interruption, in the form of a phone call. Turns out that the airport that Haru's mother was supposed to be flying out from was under some severe weather alert, and she might not be there until the day of the wedding. Haru had already known that her mother would need to fly out of town again immediately afterwards, and had been a bit disappointed, since she had not seen her mother for six months. Haru worked on the summary to get her mind off of the bad news. Perhaps summary wouldn't be a very good term, since she had written ten pages by the time sleep claimed her. He gazed at her fondly.

_She's so adorable when she's asleep._ This was, after all, the first time he had seen her in that state. Baron was still in denial that Freddy had just happened to be in the crowd at the unveiling of Baron's portrait, and that he had told Haru so much about him. About the only thing that kept him from dying from embarrassment was the fact that when Freddy had mentioned buying him, his Haru had instinctively reached out for the doll, as if holding him could ward off the sale. That and she had said that he sounded like a great guy.

Although it had been wonderful to see his brother again, he could not deny his own relief that he would be staying with Haru. Baron still couldn't believe that she had swiped Hiromi's lacrosse stick and swept that cat out of harm's way. Even if he didn't have a problem with Haru putting herself in danger the way she had, he definitely objected to helping a cat that was wearing a gold collar. His whole body shuddered with the memory of another young woman holding a cat, with a golden collar that gleamed in the sunlight.

_Please let this be some rich man's cat._ Baron had been silently praying this ever since he had seen the cat from Haru's bag, but he knew that it was a false hope. While Hiromi had been yelling at drivers and trying to cross the street, Baron had seen his painter, who had fallen on the other side of a bush. He had seen all too clearly the look of astonishment on her face as she stared down, the bun she had so carefully pinned up falling down to a single braided rope down her back. By the time Hiromi had reached her, the cat had gone, but Haru had a haunted look on her face. And there had been no mistaking her words.

"Did you see that cat talk to me?" Needless to say, Hiromi accused Haru of getting high off of paint fumes, but Haru had been too distracted to defend herself, until she snapped out of the spell, exchanged the lacrosse stick for her bag, and ran to the Moon Cafe where Freddy had been waiting. Perhaps worrying about the cat had been what denied Baron the true joy of seeing his brother after being choked by dust for sixty years. It was amazing, how Freddy had known so much about Baron, and yet had known so little. However much Baron loved his little brother, or was it now his older brother?, there had been no denying what Baron had felt when he saw Haru intentionally run in front of that truck. Pure panic, at losing the one he cared the most for. No, that wasn't quite accurate.

_I love her._ It really had been that simple, what had been building ever since the young lady first looked him straight in the eye. He knew all her secrets, even the ones she didn't know he knew, and her comforting presence had been Baron's anchor. There was so much he longed to say to her, but he could only scrape a handful of words for her per day, and he had already used them to try to stop her from going into a collusion course.

This is what he was thinking when the scratching started. The noise was softly, coming from the door, but then grew louder along with meows until it eventually woke up Haru. Rubbing sleep from her eyes, she placed the laptop aside and walked towards the front door.

"What on earth is that about? We aren't allowed pets-"

_Haru!_ She jumped a foot in the air, and turned towards Baron.

"Is something wrong?"

_Yes. Get away from the door, and lock yourself in your room._

"But-"

_Just trust me!_

Haru was starting toward her bedroom door when the front one gave off a bright blue light, which caused her to stop and throw her arms up to protect her eyes. After a minute, it faded a bit, enough that she could see what was happening. Not that she fully believed what she saw, in any case.

What was walking _through_ her door, while it was still closed, could only be described as a cat parade. Twin columns of cats on their hind legs walked in first, the front ones swinging around sticks that made a rattling sound, and all the others spreading flower petals in the wake of one large light gray cat that was being pulled in a cat-sized chariot, surrounded by several black and white cats that seemed to be acting as bodyguards, as well as two other cats as his attendants or advisors. The gray cat had golden armbands, as well as a large purple gem in between his eyes, which could have served as a crown. The procession stopped when the chariot was right next to where Haru was standing. She stared at them, and the cats stared back.

"Hiromi was right about the paint fumes. When I wake up from this dream, I am swearing off painting for a year!"

"This is no dream, Miss Yoshioka." One of the attendants, a blue-gray cat wearing a purple robe, had spoken. "The cat that you were so good to rescue this afternoon was no other than the heir of the Cat Kingdom, Prince Lune." Baron inwardly groaned. He had been afraid of this. "Due to the gravity of the situation, the Cat King himself has come to you to personally express his gratitude." He gestured to the large cat that was leisurely sprawled out on the carriage. Haru and Baron warily shift their gazes to the Cat King, who opens one eye to the young woman standing close to the bedroom door.

"Ah, mm. Thanks a lot, babe." _BABE?! _If Baron had blood, he was sure it would be boiling at that comment towards Haru, who was smiling a bit nervously.

"Really, it was no problem-"

"And in return for your courageous deed," The gray cat had continued, cutting her off, "we will take you to the Cat Kingdom with us, to begin your training to become Prince Lune's bride and the kingdom's new Cat Princess."

"Wh-what? No thanks, as I said, it was no problem, there's no need for-"

"Well, we need to hurry if we want to make it back for the banquet that has been prepared in your honor." The other cat advisor, a brown one with red marks on his cheeks, signaled with his hand. All the cats carrying petal baskets dropped them and rushed for Haru, who had backed up against her bedroom door in fear. No one noticed the cat doll on the other side of the room, who was struggling to move to help the poor girl. The cat all began to circle her legs, and she lost her balance, banging her head hard on the doorknob behind her. Now unconscious, she could not resist the cats as they bore her back through the blue light that they had entered through. The cat procession had been so thrilled with their bounty that not one of them noticed the shadow figure that had joined in the back of the parade.

Then the light vanished, leaving only scattered flower petals in its wake.

Baron had a light headache when he finally opened his eyes. Rubbing his head as he sat up, he let out a groan. Then his mind registered the fact. He _groaned_. And he could feel the cold stone through his glove.

_Did that mean..._ He quickly pulled one of his sleeves up, revealing an arm covered by thick orange fur. Groaning again, Baron felt his ears, which were still pointed and at the top of his head. At least his hat could rest comfortably between them. He felt his wrist for a pulse, which proved to be steady and strong. Even his whiskers had straightened out.

"Nice to see you're awake, Baron." The cat doll immediately stood up and looked around, but no one was there. He was all alone in an elaborate courtyard.

"Up here." The orange cat looked up into ebony eyes, which belonged to a large crow on top of the pillar that Baron had woken up next to. His own eyes widened in recognition.

"Greetings, Toto. It's been a while." Baron's voice was a bit hoarse from disuse.

"A long while," Toto agreed. "I take it from the fact that you're here and we're able to move again that you found something stronger?" Baron turned to see a large white castle that could be easily seen, even from this distance.

"In a way. Her name's Haru Yoshioka."

"Ah, that must be the young lady that entered the castle with the Cat King just before you arrived. I thought for sure that the Cat King's ego would make him want a grand entrance, not a midnight kidnapping while the girl's asleep."

"She was knocked unconscious when she was tripped by the cats. How long have I been out?"

"Only a few minutes. I didn't think it would be a good idea to let you lie there where anyone could have seen you, so I brought you to my sanctuary." Something frozen inside Baron relaxed, although briefly.

"I need to rescue her." Toto nearly fell off his pedestal in shock. "I'd have thought you would have learned your lesson about messing with a Cat King-"

"Haru very specifically said that she didn't want to become a Cat bride. I can't just sit back and let her get married without her consent and lose more than just her freedom. She's nothing like Louise. I won't ask you to help me, Toto."

The crow stared at Baron. He hadn't been _that _persistent, even when…

Toto sighed.

"I'm surprised that you feel the need to do so, Baron. What can I do?"

"Think you could give me a lift?"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight: The Forgotten

_Haru was sitting on a bench, her stiff white dress not allowing for much comfort. By looking around, she could see that she was in a huge crowded ballroom, with white walls decorated with clear crystals and mirrors. Everyone else was also wearing white. She thought she could see Hiromi and Tsuge circling each other in one corner. She tried to stand up so that she could talk to them, but found that she was unable to move. After she stopped struggling, Haru could see other couples that she recognized; Machida and his current girlfriend, her parents, although her father hadn't aged in twelve years and was see-through. Even Hiromi's parents could be seen, and heard, as they complained about each other's dancing skills._

_At first, there were people sitting on either side of her, but as the music continued, they started pairing off to join the others on the dance floor. Eventually looking at the seats on either side of her, Haru could see that she was now the only one without a partner, and she hung her head in shame. Even this place seemed to mock her predicament. _

'_It's not as if I haven't been trying.' In truth, if all she wanted was marriage, she could have been married right out of high school. But she knew that she could never have made that relationship work, or the ones that had followed. A slight tapping noise makes Haru raise her head, but not by much. She was shocked to see Baron in front of her. He was still not much taller than her knee, and he was the only one in the room that looked completely comfortable in a white suit._

_Baron was smiling warmly at her, and had held out his hand to her. Haru tried to tell him that their respective heights would make dancing difficult, but nothing would come from her throat. He seemed to understand what she was trying to say, but his hand was still extended to her. So, reaching slowly, Haru extended her own hand to him, and his fingers gently closed over her longest finger._

_That's when a horrible smell filled her nostrils._

"Oh, that's gross," Haru mumbled as sleep fled from her mind and she struggled to sit up. A pounding ache at the back of her head made her wish to fall back into her dream world.

"Well, well, well; it looks like Sleeping Beauty didn't need a kiss from a handsome prince after all." The voice was female, with a definite British undertone. Haru's eyes snapped open, and then focused on an old white cat that had been leaning close to her, holding a green bottle carefully away from her face. Her eyes widened and she breathed in deep to scream. The cat was as big as she was.

"That wouldn't be a good idea, dear. No one would come to help, and it would only ruin your image." Haru turned the half-born scream into a heavy breathing exercise, and took in her new surroundings. She was in a beautifully-made room fit for a princess, and laying in a large canopied bed with the sun streaming in through the window. The rest of Haru's memories returned slowly.

"Where…"

"In the Cat Kingdom, of course. You know," the cat stood on her hind legs and placed the now corked bottle on the nightstand, "It's actually good for us that you came when you did. My son and I were beginning to worry about finding a suitable bride for my precious Lune." Haru eyed her warily. She could now see that the old white cat was exquisitely dressed in a flowing red dress that could have made any royal jealous, which meant that whoever she was, she was a force to be reckoned with.

"You're…"

"Well, he'll be yours too, after he comes back from whatever business he insisted could not be delayed and we can have the wedding."

_Wedding…Hiromi's! If I miss that, she'll kill me!_ Haru jumped off the bed, only to fall back against it with one hand to her head. She had moved a little too fast than her headache was willing to permit.

"Now, dear, it's not a good idea to move like that after being hit on the head. We don't want you to become permanently damaged."

"I think there has been a misunderstanding."

"No, there's not one at all. You saved a prince, and now you get to marry him. It's just like a childhood dream, wouldn't you say?"

"Ma'am, you don't understand; I don't want to marry Prince Lune."

"And why ever not?" The white cat's tone now had a slightly chilly edge.

"Well, for starters, I don't know him, and he's a cat. I'm not. Clearly, there is no way a marriage like this can work."

"You think so?" Haru turned toward the cat, mistrusting the amused purr. "Bring in the mirror!" Immediately, two cats clothed in veils came through the curtain close to the white cat, bearing between them a huge mirror with a golden frame. Wary of the cat motioning her to look, Haru walked in front of the mirror. This time, she did not swallow her scream.

"Aaauugghh, I'm a cat!!!!" Haru looked down to where her hands should have been, only to find that they had been replaced by paws that felt strange to her. With them, she felt the pointed ears that were now on top of her head, and the shape of her new face. And underneath the dress, she could feel a tail slightly swishing back and forth. Haru couldn't help but wonder if her own mother would recognize her like this.

Looking at the mirror again, she saw that her denim outfit had disappeared as well, replaced by a stunning ball gown that matched the beautiful sky outside her window. Silver bracelets decorated both her arms, as well as a silver fish necklace dangling from her neck. She was even wearing a modest crown that also was fish-shaped. Her hair had been brushed out of its braid and now flowed down her back like a gentle waterfall. This outfit was finer than anything Haru had ever worn before, and all she could think of was getting out of it.

"As for knowing my grandson, there's plenty of time for that after the ceremony is concluded."

"What happened to my clothes?!" She wheeled around to the white cat, who now looked unbearably smug.

"The attire that you arrived in didn't really suit your new station, so I had them replaced with something more becoming." One of the veiled cats spoke up.

"We were going to put you in the yellow one, but you were too tall for it." Haru glared at the white cat. The outfit that the white cat looked down on had been her favorite.

"Just who do you think you are, to organize my life like you have the right?" The white cat smiled coyly and gestured for one of the servants to speak.

"May I present, her royal majesty, the dowager queen, Louise." The white cat's evil smile increased.

"Welcome to the royal cat family."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Baron had caught a ride on Toto back to the castle, and was carefully circling it when he heard Haru's scream.

"Sounds like she found out what happens to humans that trespass here." Toto said, now aiming for the window that the scream had come loudest and perched over it. Baron didn't answer, since he didn't want to be overheard. Good thing too, since just then, he heard his former fiancé being introduced.

"Louise? Louise Wellington?" Haru's voice sounded incredulous. A sharp breath was heard.

"Where did you hear that name?"

"I met with Fredrick von Gikkingen."

"Ah, little Freddy. How is he, by the way? Still looking for Humbert, I presume?"

"Yes…" A cold laugh ensued.

"I knew the boy was stubborn, but this really takes the cake."

"How are you still alive? Cats have-"

"Shorter life spans, yes. That is only true outside of the Cat Kingdom. Here, cats often live longer than humans."

"Where is Baron? And Toto and Muta?"

"Humph. Don't worry your pretty head over that lot; my late husband took care of them long ago."

"Answer the question!"

"Now, now, we don't have time to talk about old acquaintances. The banquet will be starting any minute-"

"Are you deaf? I already said that I am not marrying Prince Lune."

"You'd best listen now, girl, because I'm only going to say this once." Louise's tone had gone stone cold, all the laughter faded from her voice. "The royal line hasn't branched out in over four thousand years, thanks to the tradition of taking human brides. I came along willingly, and have become widely respected, both as queen and mother. You would do well to follow my example. If I had let Humbert rescue me when he had the chance, I would have lived as a mere baroness instead of a queen. Humbert never appreciated fine trappings or company, so I would have been forced to live in near isolation in an under kept manor." Baron's grip on his cane turned white-knuckled at her words.

"What would have been so bad about that? You could have just…wait a minute. You not only had a fiancé, but one who was willing to come here to rescue you, and you let him go?!" Haru's voice sounded shocked.

"Of course. Except we couldn't exactly _let_ him go, since he would have gone home and cut off the funds to my parents for breaking the engagement, so I asked my late husband to do something special for Humbert and his friends, which he was more than willing to do."

"What did he do?"

"Perhaps I'll tell you another time; the banquet is starting." Baron heard a slight scuffling, which he took to be Louise dragging Haru from the room.

"Cats must be deaf or something," was the last thing Baron heard the object of his affection say. After a few moments of silence declared them gone, Toto turned his head to Baron.

"I thought for sure that you were going to jump off my back and grab the girl from the windowpane."

"That wouldn't have done any good; Louise would have called the guards before I could have reached Haru. There is also the fact that neither of them quite knows that I'm alive."

"Then why are you trying to help her?" Baron didn't answer. He carefully slipped off Toto's back and through the window.

"Wait for the signal." Toto nodded and began circling high above the castle again.

"One of these days, I should ask him what the signal is."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: The Banquet

Baron knew he had to hurry if he wanted to get Haru out of the Cat Kingdom in time, and only paused long enough to pick up a small bundle of denim that had caught his eye. It had been cast into a corner of the bedroom. Slowly opening the door, he checked both ways for guards before entering the hallway. He ran steadily for a few minutes before a voice stopped him.

"Hey, you!" Always the gentleman, Baron stopped running and looked behind him. It had been one of the attendants, the brown cat that had been mostly silent when the Cat King had visited Haru. He held what could have been a rolled up newspaper, and was now waving it close to Baron's face. "You know that entertainers should be in the dressing room until called for." Baron was surprised, but played along.

"I got lost-"

"That's no excuse!" The brown cat started pushing him toward a specific curtain at the end of the hallway. "And please try to find a more amusing outfit; we want Miss Haru to see the best our kingdom has to offer her."

"Of course." The brown cat left to chase down servants that were talking in the hallway while Baron slipped through the curtain. None of the real entertainers noticed him, since they were all busy getting proper outfits and perfecting their various acts.

Baron walked towards the wall that had been bulging with different outfits and props for the entertainers. This was much better than what he had been hoping for. After some sifting, Baron found a black outfit with a spiked white trimming on the neck and cuffs, along with a long navy cape and a plumed hat. He even found a pair of boots that were his size, although he had to remove the stuffing that made it possible for ordinary cats to wear them. He was slipping the denim bundle into a small bag when the brown cat returned.

"It's time!" All the entertainers ran for the opened curtain while Baron slipped the bag underneath his cloak and started after them. Spying a steel mask on one of the vanities, he grabbed it and put it on. No use taking unnecessary chances. Who knows if Louise would recognize him after all these years? Or what Haru might do if he just waltzed in? Then Baron brightened. He was finally going to _really_ talk to her, and he now had an opportunity to show her what he was made of. How to execute this was still being worked out in his mind.

The brown cat led the group through three different hallways before opening one curtain to a huge ballroom that was a little too familiar to Baron. There were several tables, with cats clearly from all corners of the globe seated at each one. At the highest one, Baron could see the Cat King, with Louise at one side of him and a cat version of Haru at the other. Louise looked pretty pleased with herself, but Haru was studying her lap, her eyes sad. Baron's heart quaked.

_That headache must be terrible. And all that raw fish isn't helping her much._ Haru had once mentioned to him that she had gone vegetarian after doctors told her and her mother that her father would have lived longer if he had cut back on the meat. All the tables had been piled high with chicken, fish, and mice. And all of it happened to be uncooked. No wonder Haru looked a little green. About the only new thing in the room was the stained glass window behind the king's table, which features a large white cat with a spot of brown on one ear. The cat appeared to be in a rather uncomfortable position. Toto had told Baron about the _true_ nature of the mirror, and a plan began to form in his mind.

The Cat King ordered some amusement. The first one was three cats balancing on a ball with umbrellas in their hands. All the cats enjoyed it immensely, but Haru was playing with the fish in front of her, eyes clouded over. The Cat King was not pleased by this.

"Next!"

The next act had a female cat strapped to a propped table while her partner hurled squid daggers at her. After a slight dress malfunction, the partner was forced to take a nose dive out the window by two cats wearing black executioner masks.

A pink cat with funny markings on his body bounced up to the center of the room and did imitations of other animals. Being well-bred and knowledgeable of the king's temper, all the nobles struggled not to laugh until Haru did, but she was still not noticing anything. Her attention was now on experimentally opening and closing her new paw. One of the Italian cats couldn't take it anymore, and burst into a frenzied laughter, which earned him a one way ticket out of the window as well.

"Whoever's next better not stink. Got it!" The king was really angry now. All the entertainers held their breath and started backing away slowly, the fear evident in their eyes.

_Just the opening I was looking for._ Baron took his time walking past the other entertainers to the front of the highest table. Louise looked at him, but clearly no bells were ringing in her mind. Baron took that as a good sign. He addressed the king.

"Your majesty, I promise that _I_ will make the young lady smile."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Haru was still lost in her mind. She wanted everyone to think that it was because of her headache, but it had faded almost before Louise had finished her tirade.

_Is this my destiny? Why I've stayed single for so long?_ The raw fish in front of her seemed to stare. _How can they bear to eat something that looks at them while they do it?_ She would probably almost starve before she would eat anything the cats were willing to place before her. The urge to vomit intensified. _How long will it be before someone back home notices that I'm gone? Hiromi will just assume that I'm finding a date somewhere and Mom won't be in town until the wedding in two days. More to the point, would they care? The only one I can think of that would is-_

Then Haru noticed a presence in front of her. She had to crane her head back a bit to look at this cat, who had orange fur.

"Excuse me, would you care to dance?" Clearly, this guy had no idea of what he was asking for.

"Oh no, I'm a meowsy dancer-Agh!" Haru threw her paws to her head. Now she was even starting to sound like a cat. "Lousy! I meant lousy!" The cat held out a hand to her. She looked up at him, surprised.

"Just trust me." She stared at him and his hand. It felt a bit like the dream she had before meeting Louise.

_Well, I did give him fair warning._ Extending her paw to him, his fingers wrapped gently around it. _Wait a minute._ This cat had fingers! And he was taller than most of the cats in the room, including her! Hiromi had often despaired of finding a guy taller than Haru, but she only came up to the nose on this cat.

_What on earth was going on?_ She heard the accordion start the melody, the waltz being one she had never heard before. The orange cat placed one hand on her waist and the other over her paw. Putting her other paw on his shoulder, Haru let him guide her across the floor. She was surprised that she never stepped on his feet, and how smoothly the cat and she circled each other. Was the new grace part of becoming a cat? If Hiromi could have seen them, and not be shocked by all the cats, she'd demand to know what happened to _her_ Haru.

_No, it wasn't being a cat, _she decided as she and her partner circled the floor. She could hear Louise say something to the king, but didn't care enough to try and listen. Haru found that she could understand through the cat's gestures what she was supposed to do, which she had never been able to do with the other men she had previously danced with. And this partner obviously was different. He expertly led her through a dip and twirled her around like he had done so every day of his life. A strange sort of music, different than the waltz, started to flow through her body almost like a river.

_What's happening to me? I've never felt like this before._ The mask prevented her from seeing the cat's face, but Haru felt that it was unimportant. _Maybe being a cat wouldn't be so bad._ Whiskers immediately sprouted on either side of her nose, and she gasped in surprise.

"Careful, Haru. Don't lose yourself." This was the first time he had addressed her since leading her out of her seat.

"Huh?" She couldn't understand why this cat was asking her to hold on to her humanity, which was exactly what the Cat King wanted her to lose.

"You don't have to go through with this marriage," the orange cat continued, twirling Haru around some more. She was starting to have difficulty breathing. She had just noticed the British accent of an aristocrat that the cat possessed. Up to this point, he had kept his head level so that she couldn't see his eyes. He looked at her, and Haru was lost inside a sea of green that she had been lost in several times before. "You _did_ say that you weren't agreeing to it, didn't you?" Haru's mind began to function again, but she couldn't look away from those eyes.

"Is it possible?" She whispered softly. But not softly enough.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten: A Daring Escape

"Stop the music!" the Cat King shrieked, hearing the question. The band immediately did as they were told, and the couple on the dance floor had stopped moving. Baron was pleased by the look of wonder in his partner's eyes. "You have never entertained this castle before. Just who exactly are you?!" The king was panting slightly, and had stood up in order for his voice to be at its full capacity. Louise was also on her feet, an intense look of distrust on her pretty face.

"Apologies for my belated introduction." He took off the plumed hat and tossed it aside, his eyes never leaving Haru's. He idly wondered if her hair has always smelled like lilacs, or if that was Louise's doing. "I am precisely who I appear to be." He carefully took off the mask so that Haru would be the first one to see him. She inhaled slightly, her eyes blinking in astonishment. Then he turned to face the king and the cat court. "I am Baron Humbert von Gikkingen. I have come for Haru." And thus, he delivered on his promise to make the young lady smile. Her grin could have easily lit up all of Tokyo.

"Baron!" The relief was evident in her voice. He wasn't expecting her to throw her arms around his neck and hug him, but he wasn't about to complain when she did so.

_So this is what her embrace feels like…not bad at all._

"Can this be?" The brown cat was obviously enjoying the drama, but the same could not be said of the king and his mother.

"How did he get out of that shop?!" Louise hissed, her green eyes turning into slits.

"He won't have Haru! Guards, seize him!" The Cat King was nearly frothing at the mouth, he was so angry. Cat guards that had varying shades of green fur flowed in from behind every curtain, overturning tables and spilling mice and poultry everywhere. The guests started to scream as they fled the tables and ran for the curtain that the brown cat had started calmly broadcasting.

"The emergency exit is located over here. All guests please make a calm retreat into the exit."

Baron wrapped his cloak around Haru protectively while she stepped closer to him. Three of the guards hurled star daggers at the cat doll, who calmly deflected them and threw his steel mask, forcing the cat-woman at his side to bend with him so he could throw hard enough. The mask took out all three of the guards before shattering the glass window. Baron wasn't surprised when the pieces remerged to form a real white cat lying on the ground, but Haru was.

"Nice trick," She complimented him, her eyes still wide with shock. He smiled warmly at her.

"Wait until you see the finale."

"Give back my daughter-in-law, you scoundrel!" The Cat King tried to join the guards in attacking Baron, but security cats managed to subdue him so that they could take him to safety. Louise was dragged away by the veiled cats, still screaming for Baron's blood. The large white cat started moving around slowly as the orange cat led Haru to a tabletop to stay clear of the oncoming violence.

"Yesss...movement at last." The guards didn't seem as pleased.

"Renaldo Moon's escaped!"

"Run for your lives!"

"No, we have to take him down!"

"Then you do it!"

"Now, boys." The large cat had gotten on his two hind legs, an evil grin spreading across his face. "There's plenty of me of me to go around." Then he tackled five cats at once, and had them out for the count within minutes. Haru turned to Baron in surprise.

"_That's _your cousin?" They were nothing alike. He nodded, and faced the open window that he had shattered.

"Come on, Toto..." he said through gritted teeth. She turned to the window, expecting another cat to come to their aid. She was surprised to see a giant crow fly through the window instead.

"It's about time you got here, bird brain." Muta wasted no time with the last guard, which he threw on top of a ridiculously large pile of comatose green cats.

"I'd have gotten here sooner, if your gigantic body hadn't been covering up the window-"

"Not now!" Baron had grabbed Haru's paw and started running for where Toto had landed. "You two can greet each other later!" He picked the young lady up by the waist and set her on Toto's back before climbing on himself. "We need to focus on getting out of here."

"I'm all for that idea. Hey, what's with the girl?" Muta strode over to the window and was now eyeing the cat at Baron's side. "Didn't you learn your lesson from last time you tried to help a female?"

"_Haru_ has made it plain that she wanted no part in this." Baron watched her face as he said this, and she had nodded in agreement. Toto took off, snatching Muta by the paws as he cleared the window. The cat woman gasped and held onto Baron, who had one arm wrapped around her and one holding onto Toto's feathers. She blushed, but since the orange feline didn't protest, she kept her arms around his neck. To distract herself from her current position with Baron, she addressed the white cat dangling from the other side of the crow.

"So what did you do? To get the cats that terrified of you?" Haru had been rather curious. Muta chuckled darkly.

"After Chicken-Legs here and Baron were turned into inanimate objects, I decided to punish the rest of the Cat Kingdom by eating all the fish in the sea." She stared blankly at him.

"And you pulled it off?" Her voice was disbelieving.

"How can you see his huge body and doubt that he could do it? He could join a sumo wrestling team and gain the top spot within a week!" Toto made a beeline for the tall tower on the other side of the castle.

"Watch it, Beak boy! Obviously I did it, or I wouldn't have gotten trapped into that stupid window. Come to think of it, how are you two moving again?"

Haru craned her head to the cat-man firmly holding her. She had been wondering the same thing. But before Baron could answer, Toto lurched in his smooth flight, and he cried out in pain. A spear had gone straight through one of his dark wings, and he started to spiral to the ground.

"Hold on!" Baron would have grabbed Haru closer, but she was practically sitting on his lap as things were. She closed her eyes and kept her grip on Baron as Muta screamed.

"Don't crash, Worm-breath! Don't-" he was cut off as Toto made a surprisingly soft landing, having Muta underneath to cushion his fall. Baron and Haru slipped off Toto's back to observe the damage. Both of them had come out without a scratch, but the white cat more resembled a squashed marshmallow, and the dark crow was breathing unsteadily, holding his wing away from his body at a strange angle. The spear was still sticking out of it.

"Steady, Toto." Baron gently eased the bird off of Muta, who grumbled. Haru looked around her, seeing that they had landed in a farther corner of a labyrinth that circled a ridiculously high tower.

"Course, no one's worried about m-Toto!" The fat cat rolled off his back and was now at the crow's other side, his face stricken with fear.

"Muta, do you think that if Baron and I hold him still, you can take out the spear?" All three of them turned to Haru, slightly surprised. "We don't exactly have a lot of time before they send more guards after us." The white cat was shocked.

"What, no hysterical cries? No weeping at Toto's pain? Just what kind of girl are you?"

"A practical one." Baron had already positioned himself on the end of Toto's wing as he answered for Haru, who walked up to the crow's head.

"What good would any of that do? Just pull it out so that we can doctor his wound." She firmly wrapped her arms Toto's neck and locked her position with her feet. Muta stared at her for a few more seconds before gripping the spear at the pointed end. Heaving a bit, he pulled it the rest of the way out, earning another cry from Toto.

"AUGH! Can't you at least _try_ to be gentle?!"

"How about the next time you have a stick in you, I just leave it there. How does that sound?" Baron and Haru ignored the banter as they inspected the bleeding hole in Toto's wing.

"A first-aid kit would be useful about now," Baron murmured.

"Yeah. Are you too attached to that cape?" He looked at her sharply. "If we rip it up, it'd make a good sling for him." Baron smiled at her and shrugged it off, his hat, cane, and bag falling out of its folds. Instead of handing her the cape however, he gave her the bag.

"Muta and I can handle the sling. You need to change out of that gown." Staring at him in surprise, Haru opened the bag.

"My clothes? How did you-"

"I swear I'll explain everything later, but time is of the essence." She nodded and ducked behind one of the walls to extract herself from the ball gown.

"Where'd you find that girl, Baron?" Muta had taken one end of the cape and started using his claws to make one long strip of it. The cat doll tore off the black outfit, revealing his white suit underneath.

"Actually, she found me. Inside that antique shop we visited the day we arrived in Tokyo, you remember?"

"Barely. No wonder it took so long for you to get out of there. That place was a dump."

"It took this long because the old Cat King cheated. He made me and the table invisible, so that my chances of getting out were cut even slimmer."

"Did Haru find you two months ago?" Toto asked as Baron started winding the makeshift bandage around the injured wing.

"Yes. How'd you know?"

"I started being able to move about the same time, so it seemed natural."

"Lucky." Muta held up Toto's wing as Baron placed the strip ends at the back of Toto's neck and tied it securely. "I couldn't move at all, being trapped inside that stupid window. Wait, if you were invisible, how did this girl find you?" Haru walked around the wall, her denim outfit perfectly in place, although she left her hair loose.

"Your guess is as good as mine. Do you think you can walk, Toto?" He asked, though his eyes were on the slim blue figure approaching them. The crow stood up.

"Should be able to, as long as we keep a steady pace."

"Where are we going?" Haru wasn't thrilled over the prospect of running the maze with no destination in mind. Baron answered her.

"We need to get to the tower. The portal to the human world is at the top." She craned her head back at the monstrosity that dwarfed them.

"Wonderful. Is there a time limit?"

"Yes. You have to get through the opening before the sunrise."

"But it's already noon!"

"It's always noon here." Haru glanced at the watch she had just slipped back on her wrist and started to panic.

"That only gives us about three hours!"

"I told you time is of the essence. Let's get started." They began walking the maze.

"What did you do to attract the Cat King's attention anyway, Chicky?" Muta called up to Haru, who was walking beside Baron in front of him and Toto.

"Muta…" Baron said warningly."

"It's fine, Baron. I like it a lot better than _babe_ in any case." She turned her head to face the huge cat.

"I jumped in front of a speeding truck."

"You what?"

"That reminds me, Haru. I would really appreciate it if you would restrain from doing that in the future." Baron cast a slightly annoyed look at her. "You nearly gave me a heart attack when you swiped that cat away from being killed." The white cat snorted.

"Figures, too nice for your own good. You should have left the cat be." Muta grumbled. "No good ever seems to come from sticking your nose into other people's business."

"It's a little late to be saying that, wouldn't you say?" Toto never liked girls who wept over everything, so Haru had already earned his respect.

"Trust me, I think I'm going to be keeping a healthy distance from both vehicles and real felines after this is over." Baron had to grin at her slight emphasis on _real_ felines. They kept trying one route after another until another thought struck Haru.

"Wait a minute; you must have heard me talking with Hiromi after I brought you home. Why did you ask me to dance?" Baron just smiled at her again, causing her body temperature to rise.

"I highly doubted that someone who loves music as much as you do could truly be that terrible of a dancer. Although I am curious as to how you managed to put a man in the need of a hospital and another couple in need of ice-packs." Toto and Muta looked questioningly at her while Haru blushed a deep crimson and sweat-dropped.

"But I am sure that is a story for another time. Let's turn here." They did, but Haru barely noticed. He knew all of the little silly things that she did when she thought she was alone, and had a front row seat to all of her klutz attacks.

"Uh, Baron, listen. I apologize for anything I might have done or said that-" He cut her off by gently pressing a finger over her mouth.

"Don't. I admire a young woman that speaks from the heart."

"Yeah, it would have been helpful if Louise had done that," Muta muttered, completely missing the newest blush that crossed Haru's face.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven: The Labyrinth

"Could you guys please start from the beginning? Like what happened sixty years ago?" Haru asked, slightly footsore by now.

"How do you know this started sixty years ago? Or our names?" Muta glared at her suspiciously.

"She met Freddy." Baron answered for her.

"Freddy? Your brother Freddy?"

"Yes. Apparently he's been searching for us ever since we disappeared from the human world." Muta snorted again.

"Bet he had fun with that."

"Um, guys?" Baron smiled at Haru again.

"Sorry, got off track there. When we first came ashore to Japan, Louise insisted on a tour."

"Translating into her looking through the stores that were available here." Muta muttered darkly. The orange cat ignored him.

"After an hour of running around behind Louise, we encountered a group of children that had started torturing a black longhair cat with a golden collar." Haru quickly looked up into Baron's understanding eyes.

"While I turned the children to a more entertaining pastime, Louise untied the cat, whom we had a bit of difficulty ridding ourselves of. Later that night, I heard meows from her room in the hotel." They had come to another dead end, and started back.

"So he dragged us along to see what was going on, since pets weren't allowed in the rooms," Muta added, his face grimacing at the memory. Toto continued the narrative, his wing clearly not bothering him as much as it had earlier.

"When we came to Louise's room, we could here her screaming, so Muta broke down the door to see a bunch of cats carrying her through a portal, and we followed." Baron picked up the story again.

"Since we had come through the portal a bit later than we should have, we were dropped off at a slightly different location than the cats that had taken Louise. We eventually came to the castle-" The white cat interrupted.

"Hey, you're leaving out the part where we started to turn into cats!"

"That was a bit obvious, Muta."

"It's still an important part."

"I don't know what you're complaining about; Baron needs to get to the part about shaving the Cat King." Toto started cackling. Haru turned again to her friend, a slightly evil grin playing on her lips as she struggled not to laugh.

"_Sh-shaving?_" Baron smiled a little wickedly at the memory.

"When we reached the castle, we figured out that Louise had been taken to be the bride of the Cat King, who was the black cat we had saved. I challenged him to a duel for her, and won." Muta and Toto started laughing with maniacal glee.

"I'll never forget the look on his face when half of his fur just fell off his body after Baron made one pass!" The white cat couldn't contain himself. For once, the crow didn't argue with him.

"Makes me wish we had a photographer with us, so we could treasure that expression!" Haru didn't bother to control her laughter at the scene created in her mind, and then calmed down enough to guess what happened next.

"Than you found out that Louise wanted to stay, and the three of you got cursed for defying and embarrassing the Cat King in front of his subjects?"

"That pretty much covers it." Baron's expression turned sad. Haru looked over her shoulder towards Toto.

"How come you were made into a crow?" Toto looked at her sadly.

"Louise and I never really got along-"

"Oh, and we do?" Muta interrupted. The crow glared at him.

"That's different! Anyway, she knew I had dreams of flying, so she suggested to the Cat King that the best punishment for me would be to have wings that I couldn't use, so he changed me into a crow gargoyle." Haru saddened, and placed her hand on the wing not bound by the sling.

"I'm sorry." He smiled the best he could with his beak.

"Don't be. Thanks to you, I'm able to move again." The cat-girl shifted her gaze to Baron as they turned yet another corner.

"Why-" she had started to ask, but was cut off by the swat cats that had jumped off the maze walls to surround them. They charged, only to be taken down by Baron, Muta, and even Toto, who pecked sharply enough to break a few bones. Muta leaned towards smashing the green cats against the walls and each other, while Baron beat off another group with his cane. Baron turned when Haru cried out, a swat cat pulling her by the arm. Before he could come to her aid, she pulled a small can from her pocket and sprayed its contents into the cat's face. He immediately let go of her and started rolling around the ground, mewing and screaming pitifully as he rubbed his face in desperation. The trio looked at Haru in surprise as she slipped away from the cat and pocketed the can. Toto was the first to ask.

"Is that stuff some fancy new perfume?"

"No, it's pepper spray."

"Pepper what?" Muta was eyeing her warily now.

"Pepper spray. The can's still almost full, since I only had to use it once before." Baron grabbed her by the paw and led the small group away from what remained of the guard cats.

"Who did you have to use it on?" The large feline asked; a trace of fear in his voice.

"A date that was feeling frisky. That was the real reason I bought the stuff, since I'm no fighter." Baron's eyes narrowed as they ran. He felt more protective of Haru than ever, and pulled her a bit closer as they lengthened their stride. They came to another dead end, and stopped to catch their breath.

"Now this maze is getting interesting," Baron muttered, noticing the latest of dead ends they had encountered. At this rate, Haru would have no chance of regaining her humanity. Turning to face her, he saw that she was studying another wall.

"Something's not right here," She said without a trace of doubt.

"You mean like the fact that you'll be a cat forever in about an hour?" Muta had come up next to her.

"No, I mean like this wall. See the top? All of the other walls are smooth, so why is there a jagged edge right here?" Seeing her point, Baron raced up and felt the wall.

"She's right, Muta; this wall is _fake!_" On 'fake', he gave the wall a hard kick, revealing that a cat had been strapped to the other side, and had fallen on another cat strapped to a similar wall. This created a domino effect that led straight up to the base of the tower, making a clear path. The cat-woman grinned.

"Told you."

"Nice work Haru." Baron was pleased that she had been able to see through the deception. From the direction of the castle, they could clearly hear a banshee-like scream.

"Sounds like Louise didn't appreciate that." Toto commented as they raced along the new path, ignoring the muffled meows from the other side of the stone slabs.

"Isn't that just too bad?" Haru didn't sound very sympathetic. They reached the base in no time, but the stairs snaking around the tower seemed more daunting than ever. They raced up anyway. Toto's wing seemed to get better every second, with him flying up the stairs in short spurts in order to keep up with the cats. Haru had to stop and bend over her knees when they reached the third story of the tower, gasping for breath. The others had stopped and looked back at her.

"Go ahead…I'll…catch up." She managed to say between unsteady breaths. A second later, a shadow passed in front of her, and Haru was swept into Baron's arms as he carried her up the stairs past Muta and Toto.

"Show-off," Muta muttered as they resumed their pace.

"You're just jealous." Toto snickered.

"Jealous of what?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Baron…you don't have to-" Haru tried to say.

"Don't worry." He held her close as he raced up the spiraling staircase.

Since it was so close to her, she stared at Baron's face. _Fredrick wasn't exaggerating in the slightest! He's even cooler than I thought he'd be! Louise must have had a screw loose to let a guy like Baron go for riches, power, or anything else she apparently thinks could be more important. He makes a very handsome cat._ This idea made Haru's whiskers grow longer.Baron looked down at her, so she turned her head in an attempt to hide the blush the once more decorated her face.

_Snap out of it, Haru. The man's eighty-something, and you're checking him out like a crushing school girl! Need I remind you that he's old enough to be your grandfather?_

_Ah,_ another voice in her head interjected. _But Grandpa couldn't do half of what you've seen Baron do, even when he was young._

It was strange, but ever since he took her hand back at the banquet hall, Haru's heart had been swirling around like a kaleidoscope. She had liked him plenty when she thought that he was just a cat doll, but now that he was _alive_, he had become much more likeable. He could make her blush even when he was wooden, but now he was doing it every two seconds. And what's more, he was forever holding her hand or herself close to him, but she never felt the need to object. Haru felt completely safe when he was near, even when danger stared them straight in the face. He also had inspired her to become more than what she already was, ever since she brought him home. The only other man that had ever been able to do make her feel remotely like this was her father. And even that felt different.

A door had come into their view, which opened up and starting spilling out more green cats. Baron regretfully lowered Haru to the step behind him and raised his cane for the attack. Just as the cats were about to jump him, however, the stairs underneath them collapsed, and sent them all falling down the side of the tower.

"If we weren't in such a rush, I'd laugh my head off," Haru commented as they edged there way across the tiny bit of stairway that still clung to the tower. Toto just flew over it as Muta chuckled.

"You'd think that they would have done maintenance repairs."

"Whoever said that cats have any sense? No offense, Baron, Haru…"

"Well _I _take offense!" (Two guesses on who said that line.) They had come to an opening in the tower, which just looked like an open room with a smaller tower over it.

"Hey, we're at the top!" Haru managed a half-twirl as the group entered it. From here on, the staircase spiraled inside of the tower.

"Not much farther now." Baron grinned, but the look faded as he thought about what waited them on the other side. He looked up the tower to see the human world's sky, which had the slightest tinge of red. Haru had said that her apartment building didn't allow animals, so she might not be able to shelter Toto and Muta the way she had with him. And would she still feel comfortable keeping him around her apartment, knowing that he was alive? His thoughts were interrupted by several loud explosions, which were followed by a lot of vibrations and groaning from the tower.

"Baron?!" Haru looked a bit scared.

"Brace yourselves!" Baron sandwiched her in between himself and a column as Muta and Toto clung to the other side. A split second later, the tower began to shoot down like a bullet. Toto was immediately blown away by the wind speed, and was almost joined by Haru until she grabbed the cane that Baron quickly extended to her. They could look into each other's eyes as the tower continued to collapse.

_Poor Haru, she's so scared that she can't even scream. _Not that he would have heard her if she had. When their section of the tower finally came to a sudden stop, the debris from the remainder of the tower flew from them like a dark storm cloud. In the distance they could hear the twin laughs of the king and dowager queen. Baron groaned. He had hit his head pretty hard on the floor of the open room, and he was having difficulty regaining his breath. Even his teeth were aching. Wait; there was still pressure on his teeth…

Haru wasn't feeling so good. She had never had a problem with heights, but she decidedly had one when there were sudden distance changes, like the tower explosion just then. She inhaled through her nose shakily, since her mouth wouldn't open. She had landed on something soft, something that had wrapped itself around her waist when she fell back inside the tower room. Opening her eyes to see what it was, she received the shock of her life. Not only had she landed on Baron, but she had fallen in a way that her lips were over his in an accidental kiss. And he was staring back at her like he couldn't believe it either.

Haru inhaled sharply and rolled off him, her face turning a shade of red that she had previously thought not to exist. Baron sat up and stared at her, a twinge of red noticeable underneath the orange marking of his fur. They stared at each other, not quite sure what just happened between them, or what to say about it. After a minute, Muta sat up groaning, breaking the spell of silence. Baron and Haru staggered to their feet to take a look at their new surroundings. She groaned.

"You're kidding; back where we started?"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve: Confrontations

Toto was somehow able to ride the air current back down to the shaken group. He could see the king and his soldiers marching toward the tower remains as he landed next to Muta.

"So do we wait for them?" Baron finished brushing off his suit with his handkerchief and glanced up towards the exit. The portal was now broken, with no prayer of getting fixed in time to save Haru. At least his blush and Haru's had gone down enough that his two friends didn't notice anything wrong with either of the two half-cats.

"Looks like we have no choice." His heart ached when he thought of Haru's fate. There was nothing more he could do for her. Louise looked extremely pleased with herself as her son and guards followed close behind her, even the king unable to match her enthusiasm. Baron, Haru, Muta, and Toto had lined themselves against the wall, each sitting in their own way.

"You were right Renaldo; it _is_ a good idea to keep explosives around in case of an emergency." Haru gave him a funny look until Muta turned red.

"Uh, misadventures of a beloved childhood."

"Sounds interesting." Haru wished she could have learned what had inspired Louise's comment. The king had finally caught up to his mother, and all of his guards passed out after entering the enclosure.

"Gikkingen, so nice to see you again!" The king had obviously changed his tune from when they last met. Purring like a broken motor, he looked at Haru.

"Now, if you would be so kind as to return my daughter-in-law."

"She's not married yet!" Toto was a bit indignant that the king considered her already won.

"It's not _so_ bad, being a cat." Muta informed the girl-cat, although his tone suggested that he wasn't being entirely truthful.

"It's going to take me a while to get used to eating meat again," Haru answered sadly. Baron heard something from the other side of Muta. Leaning a bit to see what it was, his smile returned in full force.

"I wouldn't give up quite yet if I were you." Everyone turned to see what the cat doll was looking at, including the king and Louise. Haru could recognize the gray cat that she had rescued, although the collar was gone, replaced by a white soldier uniform decorated with medals. He had emerged from an underground entrance, along with a uniformed regiment of his own, and was now marching toward the tower with purpose.

"Father, Grandmother!"

"Prince Lune has returned! Line up quickly!" The robed cat, which had previously been gasping for breath, quickly made the guards form a line so that there was room in the enclosure for Lune's soldiers.

"I should have guessed that something like this would happen. Who is responsible for all this?" The crown prince did not look too pleased.

"Lune, sweetheart." Louise addressed him in a sickeningly sweet voice. Muta pretended to throw up, causing Toto to laugh softly. "We found you the perfect human bride that we've been searching for! You remember that young lady from yesterday? The one that saved your life?" Lune looked at Haru with regret in his eyes.

"I'm sorry for getting you caught up in my family's politics, miss." Baron and his friends, including Haru, looked up in shock. That was not what they had expected him to say, coming from the obviously disturbed royal family. Turning to face his father and grandmother, Lune continued. "I believe I made it clear that I did _not_ want to marry a human." His grandmother shook one paw indulgently.

"No, you said you didn't want to get married quite yet. There's no problem with her staying at the palace until you feel ready-"

"No. There shouldn't be a problem with that since I will never marry her." The king stood up on his hind legs, a hint of the previous madness setting in.

"Lune, do you have any idea what we've gone through to keep her here? I even blew up the tower-"

"No, I did! I'm the one that pushed the button!" Louise was angry that her son was trying to take all the credit. "And if it weren't for me, you never would have known that Lune was even in danger."

_It figured that Louise was behind this mess as well._ Baron narrowed his eyes at her, angry for the chance of a normal life that she made slip through Haru's fingers.

"Not now, Mother! I _had_ the tower blown up so that she can never go home! You know that the knowledge of reconnecting the worlds has been lost for centuries."

"Father, I can never marry the young lady that rescued me. I doubt my wife would appreciate it all that much." Louise gasped while the king stared at his son in amazement.

"You're already married? When did this happen?"

"Shortly after the young lady here saved my life. I was hoping for a way to break the news gently, but this will have to do." He motioned for the guards to part, revealing a stunningly pretty white cat with a pink ribbon tied around her neck. Blushing slightly, she bowed to the king, who was struck speechless.

"I guess that explains why he was in such a big hurry," Haru commented, grinning broadly.

"You know, I think I like this prince." Baron couldn't believe that someone from this royal line was being so rational. But he wasn't about to complain about Haru's continued single status.

"Father, Grandmother, this is Yuki." The prince then turned to direct his wife's attention to Haru. "Yuki, this is the young lady that saved me. You did say that you hoped to meet her someday." The adoration for his bride was clear in his voice. The white cat looked at the ex-human and gasped.

"Haru, is that really you?!" Everyone turned to the half-cat in surprise.

"Um, yes?"

"Oh, Haru!" The white cat lunged for the half-cat, enveloping her in a warm embrace. Haru had a blank look on her face like she didn't have a clue on what to do, her arms limp at her sides. "It's been so long since I've seen you last! I should have known that _you_ were the young lady that saved my Lune." Her husband was the only one that seemed to understand what his wife was trying to say.

"You mean _this_ is the Haru you've told me so much about?"

"Yes." Yuki looked her in the face again, and seemed a bit hurt by how the girl was looking at her. Like the white cat was as crazy as the rest of Lune's family.

"I'm afraid that I don't remember you. Sorry." Yuki backed up from her slowly, her eyes becoming soft with tears.

"You don't?" Lune took her by the arm.

"Maybe she'll remember if you show her my engagement gift to you." Yuki seemed to break out of her trance, and a smile graced her face once more.

"Of course! Great idea Lune." Waving one soldier holding a bag forward, Yuki rummaged around in it until she pulled out a small yellow box, tied shut with a red ribbon.

"Hey, that's the box he almost got killed over." Haru knew that much, at least. The prince's bride gave it her, a trace of fear in her eyes.

"Please look inside." Feeling a bit silly, she carefully untied the ribbon, placed it on her lap, and slowly opened the box. Everyone waited for her reaction. Her eyes widened as far as they would go, and her face turned pale underneath the fur. Reaching inside, she pulled out a single small pastry shaped like a fish. Her breath became unsteady.

"It's just a fish cookie, you silly girl. Nothing to get upset about." Haru slowly turned her head toward Louise before answering with a glare.

"This fish cookie happens to be the same kind that my father used to buy for me before he passed away. I was still a small child at the time, so I'd say it _is_ something to get upset about, since I haven't been near them since then." She rubbed the unshed tears from her eyes and looked at Yuki. Slowly, a blinding smile consumed her face. "You must have been that tiny kitten I shared these with all those years ago. You've gotten so pretty that I didn't recognize you." Yuki gave a cry of relief and flung herself again at Haru, who placed the box and cookie aside to hug the white cat back.

"If I didn't meet you that day, I would have starved on the streets!" Lune kneeled beside his wife.

"And if you hadn't come to my rescue, I wouldn't be here either. So it's really your fault that we're together." Haru laughed.

"I don't mind being guilty of that. Especially now that it means that I'm off the hook!"

"Not so fast." The Cat King had regained his voice. "Lune, you know full well the reason why our family has been taking human brides for over four thousand years. How could you turn your back on one of our oldest traditions?" Lune stood up to face his father.

"Maybe because of the sad look that never left Mother's face. You knew full well that she had a sweetheart before you carried her away, but you didn't care! You got your human bride, and she had to sacrifice everything and everyone she knew for a life she never wanted." Lune looked at Haru and smiled sadly.

"I didn't want to make some human girl as sad as Mother was. There's also nothing really wrong with the royal family branching out. And after I met Yuki, well, I was toast." The king stared at his son for a moment, and lowered his head.

"All right, Lune."

"That's it?" Louise interrupted. Her eyes seemed to spark fire.

"What do you want me to do, Mother? We don't have divorce here."

"So Lune gets away with it, and Haru is supposed to hang around here and what? She was brought here to be a bride, but now she can't even return to her world, so what are we supposed to do with her? And these ruffians?" She pointed a disdainful figure towards Baron and his two friends. The Cat King scratched his whiskers for a moment, and then slammed one paw into the other.

"I've got it! I'll marry Haru!" Everyone gaped at him as he towered over Haru.

"How about it, babe? If you marry me, you can have all the fish cookies you want."

"Just change us back, and I'll call it good."

"That depends on your answer." Baron had only seen the look on Haru's face twice before. Once was at the antique store when the shopkeeper tried to sell Baron for a dollar. The other was right before she charged into the street, with Hiromi's lacrosse stick held ready to swipe a cat out of danger. That look? Yeah, it was dangerous. Haru got to her feet, all her fur rising in hostility.

"Are you out of your mind?" Her voice was in a forced whisper. Building up to a crescendo, she continued. "Considering everything that you and your mother have put me and my friends through, do you honestly think for one second that I would ever consider marrying you? You dirty old cat!" Her last words were loud enough to force the king to stumble backwards until he fell over. Looking at his advisors, he asked,

"Was that a no?" Muta and Toto laughed hardily while Baron's smile widened. He had no doubts about Haru's reaction, but it was still nice to hear her rebuke on their behalf.

"You better believe it was a no!" Haru couldn't believe that the Cat King thought that she might go for an offer like that.

"Well, no wonder Baron's smitten by the girl." Toto managed to whisper to Muta after they stopped laughing. The large cat blinked.

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"Come on. Can't you tell, or are your fat eyelids blinding you?"

"Take that back!" Toto and Muta start fighting again as Lune apologetically walks up to Haru.

"Sorry about my father; he has a one track mind. Yuki and I owe you for our lives, and we owe you for what you've been put through. If you want anything from us, just name it." She thought carefully.

"I suppose there's no way that we can return home?"

"None that I'm aware of." Haru's ears pointed down, but perked up after a second.

"Can you change my friends back to the way they were? Or me?" Lune looked down in defeat.

"I'm sorry, Haru. There are only two ways to reverse the Cat's Eye's power, and both are beyond me." She cocked her head to one side.

"Cat's Eye?"

"The purple gem my father's wearing. My grandfather used it to curse your friends. Anyway, either the original caster of the spell must reverse it, or the recipients must find something that's stronger than the Cat's Eye's magic. And I doubt that my grandfather would have been too willing to reverse his spell, even if he was alive." Haru blinked for a moment.

_Something stronger?_ She looked over to Baron, who had stood up and was looking at her with an expression that she couldn't quite read. _Come to think of it, how did Baron and Toto become flesh and blood if they were wood and stone the day before?_ The orange cat answered her unspoken question.

"The spell started weakening the very night you brought me home, so I assumed that you have something stronger than cat magic. I was obviously correct."

_Was that why he helped me? Deal with that question later._

"No!" Louise wasn't about to take this. She ran for Haru with her claws extended, but got intercepted by Muta, who firmly sat on her. "Agh..." was all she could say, crushed by the pig-cat's weight.

"I've been longing to do that for years!" He said, smirking.

"Can't think of a punishment better than that. Good kitty." Toto couldn't help but add. Haru didn't bother to listen to Muta's comeback.

_How could I have something stronger? I'm just a painter, this doesn't make any sense. _But somehow, it _did_ make sense. She had been able to see through the invisibility spell that had covered Baron, and she definitely felt something when she first saw him. She thought about the previous two months, all those times when she felt him watching her, but had just brushed it off. How did she know to treat him like a person instead of a carved piece of wood? And then there was everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. She had heard his voice telling her not to jump in front of the truck, and than again to warn her of the danger when she had heard the meowing inside her apartment. Then there was Baron himself. He had come after her, even though he was still paying the price for his last visit here. She thought about the way he made her dance, how he could take down cats with a mask or cane, the way he spoke to her, his gentle touch, the look on his face after that accidental kiss…

Oh, big flipping duh.

She smacked herself on her forehead and started laughing hysterically. It's funny, how everything's funny when one happens to be sleep-deprived. Baron looked at her with alarm.

"Haru? Are you all right?"

"Looks like the pressure of everything that happened finally went to her brain." Muta said somberly. Toto had a comment ready for him.

"Funny, I'd have thought that _you_ would be the first one to crack."

"Take that back!" Baron ignored them and held Haru by the shoulders so that she looked at him.

"Haru…" He was surprised by the look on her face when she glanced up at him. Her eyes were starting to tear up, and she looked ecstatic. A lot like the way she looked when she got the idea to paint his portrait.

"Sorry, Baron, it's just so funny! I figured out why the spell's been steadily breaking!"

"Don't go there, girl!"

"Keep silent, witch!" Muta shifted his position slightly to make the troublesome she-cat groan in pain. Haru was impressed that Louise could gather enough breath to say anything, let alone at that volume. She looked again into Baron's eyes. She wasn't sure how he would react to what she was about to tell him, or how things would work out later. She only knew that it needed to be said, even if it did nothing to help Baron.

"Baron…" He tightened his grip slightly as he pulled her a little closer, nodding to say he was listening. "I had better say this before I regain my senses. I don't really care that you're sixty-plus years older than me, or if this will help, but _I love you!_"

The gem on the Cat King's forehead shattered into pieces as fine as dust, and blew away with the wind. Louise screamed as the world itself seemed to shatter like Muta's window prison, and then dissolve into darkness.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen: A Beautiful Day

Haru slowly moved her head, and recognized the feel of her couch against her cheek. She cracked one eye open with effort to see her living room. Sunlight poured in from her window, declaring that it was late in the morning, possibly noon.

_Oh, come on! No way was all that a dream!_ She sat up slowly, the blanket that had been wrapped around her falling into her lap. _Blanket?_ She looked at what had been covering her, which definitely wasn't a blanket. It was a white jacket. The suit kind. Just then Haru noticed a heavenly smell coming from her kitchen. _Is that tea?_ Haru could see a white top hat on her kitchen table, and a cane that was hanging from the back of one of the two chairs surrounding it. Her heart stopped beating, and then sped up to a pace that she had previously thought to be impossible.

Someone had been moving around in her kitchen until she had straightened up on the couch, making the hidden spring squeak slightly. After a few seconds, she heard the scrape of china on the counter, and steps heading toward the living room. And a very handsome young man stepped around the corner, holding two cups of tea. He smiled warmly at her.

"Good morning, Haru. Or afternoon, whichever you prefer." There was no mistaking that accent. She laughed slightly as she took in his new appearance. No wonder Fredrick had stared when he first saw her painting. He did look a lot as he did as a cat, with the same color of hair that his fur had once been, and his eyes were the same green that she loved, though more rounded than she was used to. She grinned back at him.

"Morning, Baron." He gave her one of the teacups and sat down beside her as she inhaled the fumes. _This wasn't from one of my teabags._

"It's my personal blend. A bit different every time, so no guarantees about the flavor," he informed Haru, reading her mind. He uttered a silent prayer as the young lady next to him took a sip. She instantly brightened further.

"Wow! This is the best I've ever tasted!" He grinned, relieved.

"Then you're lucky. It was always bitter for Louise."

_Louise. Toto! Muta!_

"Baron! What happened after…?" Baron took a sip before answering her.

_She's right, this _is_ a good batch!_

"We, that is to say, Muta, Toto, you and I, were changed into humans as we were transported to your apartment. The sun was rising, and you were the only one that was asleep."

"How's Toto's arm?"

"In perfect condition. He'll be fine. And Muta is back in his old shape." Haru raised an eyebrow.

"Old shape?"

"Yes. I'm certain you've noticed his weight as a cat?" She nodded.

"Well, that was due to Louise. Muta's very weight conscious, so she asked the old cat King to make him fat and unable to get it off. So eating all the fish the Cat Kingdom isn't to blame, although I'm sure he enjoyed splurging this once." Haru was a bit stunned, but started giggling.

"I guess that explains why he was able to take out so many of the guards. He wouldn't have been able to do that if he were really a fatso. Speaking of which, where is he and Toto?"

"They wanted to start another fight, so I sent them on an errand so that you could sleep." Haru gazed warmly at him.

"Thank you."

"I hope you don't mind," he looked down, fearing that she would, "but I gave them the emergency fifty that you like to keep underneath the front rug."

"Not at all, that's what it's there for. What did you ask them to do?"

"Muta makes a mean angel food cake, and I felt it was time for a celebration."

"Did you warn them about what they might encounter on the streets?"

"To an extent, but I wouldn't worry unless we get a call from the police asking you to bail them out." Haru had to laugh at that.

"Oh, come on! Those two aren't that bad!"

"You'd be surprised." Baron put down his cup and took her by the hand. "To be truthful, there's another reason I was hoping to get them out of the apartment." She blushed, but put down her cup so that he could hold both of her hands.

"Yes?" Baron took a deep breath.

"You have probably noticed, but it's a little hard not to get attached to someone after spending weeks constantly in that person's presence." She nodded. "I had a bit of difficulty defining how fond of you I really was. That is, until you saved Prince Lune." Haru grinned.

"I think I can still hear your protests echoing in my mind."

"But now you understand why I was so panicked?" Haru was about to answer when he raised one hand to gently hold her face and brush a few hairs back. Her breath caught in her throat, disabling any words that may have issued from her. "When I tried to rescue Louise, I did it out of a sense of duty, not because I had any real feelings for her. She was supposed to be my wife one day, like our parents had agreed when we were small." Haru had known that arranged marriages were common back then, but kept her mouth shut, hoping that she knew where this was leading.

"But when I saw you deliberately place yourself in a very dangerous situation to save a life, even though it was a cat's, I nearly lost control. And then when the Cat King came for you, I did lose control. I was scared, Haru."

"I already promised not to jump in front of cars anymore."

"And if you see a child on the street this evening? Do you think you could keep that promise?" She grinned guiltily.

"Probably not. And I doubt that you could either." Baron's smile warmed Haru almost as much as his embrace did.

"That's one of the reasons I love you so much, Haru." A giddy feeling of ecstasy began to coarse through her veins as she looked again into his wonderful eyes. So _this_ is why Hiromi wanted her to have a boyfriend so much. She felt like she could spend the rest of eternity in Baron's arms and be perfectly content.

"Purr," she said half-jokingly. He chuckled and held her closer. After a minute, Haru gave a jolt. "Oh my gosh! I promised to call Fredrick if I remembered anything else about you!" Baron laughed. After he calmed down a bit, he asked her,

"Do you have any idea how funny it is, to hear you call my little brother Fredrick?"

"Well, I don't exactly know him well enough to know if he's more of a Freddy."

"That could change. I have a feeling that a lot is going to change."

"You mean besides the fact that I'm going to have to kick you out of the apartment?" She had a sense of propriety just as much as he did.

"Well, there's that, too. I was thinking of the sixty years worth of knowledge that Muta, Toto and I have to catch up on in order to survive in today's world." She pulled a face on his behalf.

"Ooh, that is not going to be fun."

"I have a bit of a head start on the project. I regret to inform you that your internet bill is going to be a bit higher than usual."

"How? You can't use the computer."

"Are you sure?" He grinned at her again, unable to keep his face straight for long in Haru's presence.

"Well, how did you learn?"

"I watched what you did. Plus I read the manual." Her jaw dropped in astonishment.

"You…_read_…the manual?!" He cocked his head at her, amused at her reaction.

"Is that a problem?"

"No, but… no one ever actually _reads_ the manual! It's merely there for decorational purposes!" After a moment, she giggled and wrapped her arms around Baron's neck again. "This also means that you probably know how to use it better than I do. How did you manage to hit all of the keys at your old height?" He laughed as he wrapped his arms around her again.

"You'd be surprised just how many uses a cane can have." She had closed her eyes in contentment, but cracked one open to look at him suspiciously.

"Have you been reading my files?" He grinned guiltily.

"Yes. I must say, I'm rather eager to have a word with this Machida."

"What are you going to do, challenge him to a duel? I got over him years ago."

"I have a problem with anyone that would make you feel half of what I saw in your frog's eyes."

Then he gently tilted her head back with one hand and leaned forward. Haru closed her eyes…

And her front door burst open. Looking over, they could see that it was human versions of Toto and Muta, along with a shamefaced Fredrick. All of them had collapsed on the floor, indicating that they had been listening at the door for some time, the scattered groceries decorating the front entryway. Baron and Haru still had their arms wrapped around each other, and the two steadily turned red.

The two groups stared at each other for a few minutes before the silence was broken.

"I take it back. He's definitely a Freddy."

"Um, hi Baron! Look who we found in the dairy aisle!" Toto's voice was a bit weak. He had the same obsidian eyes and hair to match. As a human, Haru could see the resemblance between Muta and Baron, although his bulky cousin had a slightly different shade of hair.

"Okay, you're right Bird-brain. This definitely explains why Baron was so eager to save Haru."

"I'm surprised that you couldn't see it from the beginning!"

"I'm surprised that he was successfully wooing her with boiled grass!"

"Your refined tastes are showing again!" Baron reluctantly detangled himself from Haru and walked over his feuding friends to his little brother.

"It's surprising that you haven't gotten over your habit of eavesdropping over the past sixty years." Freddy got to his feet, a sheepish grin on his face.

"And turn my back on our family's favorite pastime? Don't be absurd." And the two brothers embraced each other hard.

"I wouldn't have believed half of what those two have told me if I didn't hear them arguing over whether or not to grab mulberries before they saw me." Baron laughed again.

"Those two fighting can provide better identification than a DNA test."

"Speaking of which, that's just what we're going to have to do, if we want the officials to believe that you three are at least descendants of the three that disappeared sixty years ago." Baron nodded solemnly.

"Ah, yes. That will prove to be a bit tricky." Haru had started to help gather groceries when her phone rang.

"Could you guys keep it down while I answer this?" They quieted down as she reached for the phone.

"Hello."

"Haru, where have you been?! I've been trying to reach you since last night!" Hiromi's voice was loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

"Does that girl ever speak at a normal volume?" Freddy inquired.

"I found another guy, and you're going to have to deal with him since I don't have the time to-" Baron had heard enough and crossed the room to gently take the phone from Haru's grasp.

"I've been longing to tell your friend a few things. Hiromi."

"Who's this?"

"I'm Haru's boyfriend, and I would greatly appreciate it if you would stop trying to fashion her love life to suit your needs."

"Baron!" Haru couldn't believe that he was telling off her friend, but secretly glad that someone was. Hiromi had turned into a bride-zilla over the past few weeks.

"B-boyfriend?"

"You can also cancel the date you have arranged, since I will be taking the privilege of escorting her to your wedding tomorrow." Haru then noticed that her wastebasket was stuffed with the baskets and petals that had littered her floor the night before, and she smiled warmly at Baron again.

"I would also appreciate it if you would consider the possibility that Haru has enough problems without you giving her a hard time. I am well aware that you two have been friends for most of your lives, but that is no excuse to accuse her of sniffing paint fumes every time she says something that you don't agree with." He handed the phone back to Haru. "Okay. I'm done." Haru was unable to keep a grin from her face as she raised the receiver to her ear.

"I may have to warn Mom not to call."

"Haru, what was that all about?"

"Baron has a good point, Hiromi. I love you to pieces, but I would appreciate it if you knocked off the paint-fume comments. They got old two minutes after you started them."

"I…I didn't realize that you felt that way. Think you can forgive me?"

"Sure. I know you thought you were being funny or trying to help."

"Thanks. How long have you known that Baron guy?

"I met him the same day as the date with Taro, but he didn't approach me until last night. I've been hanging out with him and his friends, which is why you couldn't reach me."

"What does she mean? I'm the only one that actually did any hanging," Muta muttered.

"Who was that?"

"One of the friends I just mentioned. They stopped by this morning for some cake."

"You can't bake."

"That's why they're here."

"Oh, that makes sense. I'm glad that you found a guy that you're interested in." Haru turned to grin at Baron.

"So am I."

"Well, that's good. Tell his friends that they can come to the wedding if they want."

"I will." Haru watched Muta start mixing the dry ingredients together while Toto beat the eggs.

"See ya tomorrow."

"See ya." Haru hung up the phone and rolled up her sleeves.

"Anything you need me to do, Muta?"


	14. Chapter 14

5- 5 -

Chapter Fourteen: A Happy Ending at Last

Three months after the Cat Kingdom adventure, Haru was finally on a plane to England, sitting next to her new husband with her head on his shoulder. She and Baron had agreed that they should take things slow, since they obviously had the rest of their lives ahead of them. It was still about a month when Baron popped the question, though it looked more like the other way around.

Hiromi had been shocked when Haru showed up with Baron and proceeded to take over the dance floor. She did manage to bite down a paint-fume remark and just commented that Baron must be a good teacher, which made a secret smile pass between her maid of honor and her escort. Haru's mother fainted when she saw her daughter finally having a good time with any guy, let alone one she would let kiss her in public.

Freddy had been rightly worried about convincing the authorities of the trio's identities, but a combination of DNA testing and bribing encouraged them to believe his story that Baron's grandfather, Humbert von Gikkingen, fell in love with another woman after Louise left him for a mysterious wealthy man, and the three men have preferred to wander with their families than to return their duties. But now that Baron Gikkingen II had been proven as a blood relative and probable great-nephew of Freddy's, he was adopted as his heir. And it felt like the whole world was watching the young man's courtship of Japan's favorite rising artist. The air flight attendant called through the intercom that they would shortly be arriving in England, and Haru squeezed Baron's arm.

"Nervous?" He asked her, another smile playing on his lips.

"Excited. I can't wait to see our new home."

Another hour passed, and they were driving a rented car down a cheerful country road. They were traveling towards the ancestral home that had been passed down to them after Freddy admitted a preference for the city.

"You know, we _could_ have stayed in Japan."

"We could have," Haru agreed as she opened a window to allow circulation. "But I've been dying to see the place you grew up in for months!"

"It's probably a bit different than what I remember. Freddy more than likely did a few things to the place."

"Probably, but that's not really bothering me." Haru started giggling. "I still can't believe that Toto convinced the DJ at the reception to play 'Grapefruit Diet'." Baron started chuckling.

"I'm rather amused at the way Muta chased him down through the dance floor, yelling and waving around that whisk covered with whipped cream." Haru's laughter doubled.

"Course, Toto wouldn't have done it if Muta hadn't slipped worms into his spaghetti at lunch the day before." Baron could only roll his eyes.

"One thing you can always count on with those two is that they can't go without a fight for more than a few minutes. One time they kept at it for five hours." She raised one eyebrow at him.

"Not longer?"

"Probably longer, but the five hour one was the longest one timed." After a few minutes, they passed a large wild flower field. "That's usually the signal that home is five minutes away. Of course, that was when we preferred to walk or ride horses more than cars." His father hadn't been big on luxuries either, as far as what Baron's told Haru of him. She grinned mischeiviously.

"You want to pull over now for old time's sake?"

"If we didn't have so much luggage, that would be a fine idea. There's time for reminiscing later." They turned into a paved driveway, and Baron had to step out of the car to unlock the front gate.

"Haru, it's my pleasure to welcome you to our honeymoon cottage." The manor wasn't terribly large, but it gave off the feeling that it could easily house everyone in her old apartment complex. Freddy had arrived the week before to make sure that everything was clean and stable for Haru's first look of the place. She immediately fell in love with it, now knowing that Louise had no taste.

"Nice cottage." He drove the car through the gates, and parked near the entrance so they could unload the luggage.

"There are more than enough rooms that you could use for a new studio, and I'll give special notice to Toto and Muta when they join us in a month not to enter on pain of accidental death." She giggled while grabbing two bags from the back seat.

"Yeah, they're pretty amusing. We may as well keep them around a little longer."

"Wait, Haru." She turned to face him, a trace of confusion on her face as he took the bags from her hands and closed the car door behind her. He set the bags on the ground.

"What is it?" She was a little confused to what he was thinking. He smiled warmly at her again.

"Nothing. Just a little family tradition." He made a low bow to her. "Would you care to dance?" A huge grin crossed her face, a habit that had been increasing ever since they met.

"Of course." He took her lovingly by the hand, and, humming a waltz that only they knew, started circling the front yard. There was no telling how long they danced, since time seemed to stand still, with the trees slightly swaying in the wind and the scent of the varying trees heavy in the air. Neither of them noticed a pair of cats, one white and the other a dark gray, walk up to them until the white cat spoke.

"Sorry to interrupt." Baron had Haru in a low dip, and kept her that way as they glanced toward the other couple.

"Yuki! Lune!" Baron let her up so that she could embrace her old friend. "I thought that the portal was broken!"

"It was, but some digging around the library helped find a way to repair it. Oh, you don't have to worry about Father and Grandmother," Lune added quickly, seeing the looks on Haru's and Baron's face. "Grandmother suffered a fatal heart attack when Haru shattered the Cat's Eye, and I've made a comfortable home for my father, who retired from his royal duties the same day."

"We just wanted to give you these." Yuki handed Haru a bigger yellow box than she had last time. Haru didn't bother to look inside. She smiled warmly at her feline friend.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome, and congratulations. We're so glad that the two of you got your happy ending as well."

"So are we." Baron had kneeled next to his wife and wrapped an arm around her.

"Something else I thought you might like to know," Lune continued. "I'm outlawing the practice of taking unwilling humans to the Cat Kingdom, so that should cut back on my familial issues." Haru giggled.

"Good, you may need all the help you can get." It would also help with Baron's issues.

"Something that's been bothering me though, is how Haru was able to see through the invisibility spell," Lune said hesitantly. Baron turned to her.

"Perhaps it was already weakening."

"You know my grandfather's magic better than that. That spell was designed to last until you rotted." Haru put her hand to her chin and thought for a minute.

"Perhaps it was just time for the spell to break. It was pure chance that I was in the shop at all, and then again when I saw the flash."

"Flash?" Yuki was leaning in closer, her eyes locked onto her friend.

"Yeah. I saw a spark of green, and when I inspected where it had come from, I found Baron." He cocked his head at her.

"Except my eyes were clouded over with dust; I couldn't see you until you cleaned me off." His wife shrugged.

"I know. But that is what I saw, and I'm not complaining that I did." Haru looked away for a second and laughed. "Man, I _really_ cheated that shopkeeper out of a fair sale."

"After listening to generations of his family complaining about which was the superior polish for wood over porcelain while I was slowly gaining a thick and fuzzy gray coat, I don't share your guilt." Everyone laughed at that. Haru continued her thought.

"You know, if we found out the source for all of life's mysteries, living wouldn't be half as fun." Lune grinned at that.

"I agree. Yuki and I had best head back. We'll stop by again later." Baron made one point clear before the cat couple left.

"You're welcome here anytime. Provided that there are no ridiculous offers attached." Lune and Yuki laughed.

"Deal."

Haru and Baron watched the two cats disappear into the thick grass before continuing their dance, the sunset making the windows of their new home flash and twinkle like the stars forming above.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Thank you for reading my first posted fan fiction. I hoped you like it, because more is on the way.

Lots of love to; EarthGuardian, Calmest Card, Watersoul the Head Star Walker, Rebel of my Destiny, Wielder of the Mighty Pen, Astracia, Drifting One, xWhisperWolfx, The Great Flying Toaster, Thundercat, and cutelittlekitten18 for the kind reviews

P.S. 'Grapefruit Diet' belongs to Weird Al Yanchovich, not me. I heard it from my brother thought it would be a nice touch to Muta's weight. Try listening to the song for a better idea of what I mean (wink).


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